Time and Again
by AnonyNunya
Summary: AU-ish. Ahkmenrah is stunned to see his long dead wife is now a night guard in the museum. How is she here? And why doesn't she remember? It doesn't take long to piece it together. I do not own night at the museum or any its characters that I used for this story.
1. Chapter 1

Ahkmenrah woke from a dream of the past. Well, woke as much as he could considering his body was currently a three thousand year old corpse. His eyes never opened, nor did he take a single breath in the blackness of his resting place. Still he was conscious. He could hear the museum's tour guide repeating the short summary of his life and the occasional coughs and murmurs from the group.

He had dreamt of his wife. The one wife he had actually loved, anyway. He'd had three total but the other two had been political marriages, forced upon him by his father. He felt next to nothing for them, other than a sense of responsibility. But _she_ had fallen out of nowhere and directly into his heart. From the first moment he had looked into her ocean colored eyes, he had known that he was hers. Luckily for him, she had been his too.

A phone went off, closer than it should have been. The ring tone was catchy. The guide politely scolded the person, before continuing with the exhibit's information.

Normally he would stop himself when he started to reminisce. The pain of losing her was still too much, even millennia after. Just this one day every year, the anniversary of their first meeting, did he allow himself to remember. How he longed to caress her face again, and kiss the scar upon her cheek. What he wouldn't give just to hold her hand again.

He was forced to resign to his fate, to continue on for all eternity with only the memories of their brief time together. These were the times that made him loathe the tablet and its power. If only it would just let him rest in peace, maybe then he could be with her again. The sounds of the group gradually faded as the tour continued, and he drifted back into blissful unconsciousness.

Sighing in defeat Larry Daley sank back into his brown leather sofa. Yet another candidate had run screaming last night. This was the sixth one in as many days. There was nothing to worry about though. While a couple had threatened to tell the world, he knew the world would only put them in straight jackets. The others, he found out, had made themselves believe it was all a nightmare.

He'd warned them all before hand, about the unique nature of this particular museum, but none of them had taken him seriously. Maybe he needed a different approach. He needed to find a replacement and quickly, but being a night guard at this museum, apparently, took someone special.

If he could have continued he would have, but since his side business was taking off, it was eating up more and more of his time. Currntly stuck between the two, he rarely had time to sleep. At night he was a guard, and in the morning business calls had to be made. He had been waiting for this to happen for years, he reminded himself. As much as he loved his museum and its inhabitants, this business venture was his lucky break. He couldn't let it slip through his fingers.

He blinked dully at his reflection in the blank TV screen. He looked terrible. Right now, the only things keeping him awake were his eighth cup of coffee and the sound of the morning rush hour traffic in the street below his appartment.

Out of concern for the well being of his friends at the museum, he had decided to hand pick his successor, but it was taking a lot longer than he'd thought it would. He let out a small aggravated growl and violently ruffled his hair. This was a museum that literally came to life at night. How could anyone run away from that?

He jumped and cursed when his phone began vibrating in the right back pocket of his black uniform pants. He answered before it could ring. "Hello."

"Hi. I'm Alex Phillips. Is Mister Daley there?"

"Speaking." He tried to sound polite, but that was hard to accomplish when he'd only gotten three hours of sleep out of the last two days.

"I-I'm calling about the night guard position. I've turned in my resume to the museum already, and they said to call you." She sounded young and uncertain.

He leaned over his coffee table and rifled through the small stack of resumes that McPhee had given him to look at. "Alexandra Phillips?"

"Yes. That's me."

His eyes scanned the blurry page as carefully as they could. He blinked a couple times, finally bringing it to focus. "Wow. It says here you know karate."

"Actually, I've been trained in several forms of martial arts."

"That'll come in handy," he said, more to himself than to her. He paused, considering his next words. He needed a new tactic if he was going to convince the new night guard to stick around. "How do you feel about magic?" Maybe it was the coffee talking, but it seemed like a good idea to ask.

"Sorry, Sir?" Great, now he'd made the kid even more nervous. He held back another sigh and ran a hand through his messy dark brown hair.

"Magic. You know, like say... inanimate objects coming to life?" Telling her without telling her. Could this work? Probably not. She'd probably get offended and tell him off for treating her like a little kid.

"W-Well," she was hesitating. He closed his eyes. Here it comes. "I believe that anything is possible. I mean, seemingly impossible things happen every day. But what does that have to do with the job?" That was different.

Rather than answer, he continued the interview, "Would you consider yourself a very brave person?" He thought of Rexy and previous candidates, then pinched the bridge of his nose to ward of a headache. "Do you get freaked out easily?"

"Uh, well, it takes a lot to scare me, and I don't," she paused. "At least I don't think I'm the type to freak out easily." If she was telling the truth, then he saw serious potential here. More than the others anyway. A lot more.

Why had he never thought to ask these questions before? They were far more relevant than the ones he had been asking. "Can you start tonight?"

Larry's predecessors had dropped him in the middle of a living museum, with no warning whatsoever. Remembering the terror of his first night here, he swore he would never do that to another person. He was still pretty sure he could have died. Between the Aztec's poisoned arrows and the stampeding safari creatures it had been pretty touch and go there for awhile.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting when Alex showed up at five. He knew from her file that she was young. Only twenty. But he wasn't expecting the very petite, pony tailed brunette that showed up. She was only five feet and no inches tall and he doubted her abilities. He gave her thirty seconds tops after the magic happened. How could someone that small really take care of everyone? Sure Ahk, Teddy and Sacagawea would help her, if she didn't run. But some of the others could be a handful. He still didn't have all the feeling back in his face.

They were currently sitting behind the service desk at the main entrance. He eyed Rexy, questioning this method of introduction. While being one of the friendliest of the museums inhabitants he was also among the most intimidating. Just ask his previous choices.

"So. What's the deal?" She asked. A small repetitive squeaking came from her wheely chair as she spun it around. Her oversized uniform jacket and high ponytail flapped in the breeze she created. The smallest of the spare uniforms they had was still two or three sizes too big. She looked like a child playing dress-up, but at least she'd had a belt for the pants. "Shouldn't we be watching some moniters or patrolling the halls or something? Over the phone, you made this job sound super exciting. I mean I'll still do it regardless. I just thought there'd be more to it."

He had already taken her through the pre-magic preparations. Making sure the doors and windows were locked. The Aztecs were closed in. She had questioned why only the Aztec diorama got locked up but he managed to skirt the issue, at least for the moment. He'd given her a modified list of instructions, but just like he had done, she'd set it aside without even looking. Didn't really matter though, he'd already decided to personally walk her through everything.

He looked at his watch and smirked at her. "Wait for it." She stopped spinning and raised a brow at him expectantly. He held up three fingers. "In three, two, one..." He pointed to Rexy, who was beginning to stir. The giant skeleton saw him and hopped off its pedestal.

She stood quickly. The back of her knees hit the chair so hard that it went gliding with a quiet rumble across the marble floor until it hit against the other desk with a thud. She leaned forward in disbelief, her palms resting flat against the cold surface of the information desk. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, trying but unable to form the questions wheeling through her shocked mind. The T-rex sauntered towards them excitedly. The various bones clicked noisily together with every movement.

She looked at Larry, who was calmly standing up. She returned her frightened gaze to the animated carnivorous dinosaur skeleton. Then she looked back to Larry, and found some semblance of a voice. "W-We're not going to run?" Her voice cracked badly. This had to be real. As far as animatronics had come in the past few years, none could be made to move this smoothly and complexly.

"Nah. Rexy is one of the least scary things here," he said reaching up to scratch the bony snout.

"R-Rexy?" The dinosaur turned in her direction. A startled squeak escaped her and it cocked its head to the right. If it wasn't a huge, meat eating, lizard skeleton, that would have been... actually adorable. "O-Okay," she replied, her blue eyes wide. The fact that his hand remained unharmed by the giant's sharp teeth was only a small comfort. But Larry was the one who was familiar with this occurrence. It was his museum. Sort of. So if he wasn't afraid, she rationalized, then she shouldn't be either. The world is full of unexplainable things, sometimes the best thing to do is to accept it without questioning the how or why. "Okay," she repeated, slightly calmer after taking a deep breath. She prided herself on her ability to adapt quickly, even in the strangest of circumstances. And she'd seen some strange things in her time, but nothing compared to this.

Larry gently guided her out from behind the desk and nodded his head towards the dinosaur. "C'mon, he's friendly. Like a puppy dog."

She hesitantly reached her hand towards the moving pile of fossils. She'd been to this museum probably a million times, she knew every information plaque by heart. As a child, and even now as an adult, she had always imagined what it would be like if the exhibits came to life. But this, this was... She was jerked from her thoughts, when the dinosaur pulled back just as her hand made contact. She shrank back into herself. What had she done wrong? Was she about to be eaten? She wasn't sure but she thought she might have just peed a little.

A sympathetic groan escaped her when she saw the dinosaur turn his head toward himself and yank his own rib out. He dropped it before her like an offering and crouched in front of her, his mouth hanging open and his back side wriggling. When she didn't respond he nudged it a little closer to her and looked at her face expectantly. An unintentional giggle of elation bubbled out, as understanding dawned on her. Her fear left as suddenly as it came. Grabbing the bone, she teased him for a moment before throwing it down the nearest hall. It was much lighter than she'd expected, given its size.

Larry squashed a feeling of jealousy. Part of him, a big part, wished he'd been able to take this as well as she seemed to be. But then he hadn't had himself as a guide. He crossed his arms and leaned against the desk as he continued to watch her play with Rexy. He waved a greeting when Teddy came strolling up to him with Sacagawea on his arm. "I see you've brought a new recruit," the ex-president said.

"Yeah."

"She seems to be adjusting much better than the others."

"Yeah." It was still too soon to tell, but something about the girl reminded Larry of his younger sister. She had always been so accepting, and laid back, always going with the flow, no matter what ridiculous trouble he managed to get them into. Only once had he imagined what it would have been like if he'd been able to show all of this to Abby. This was almost exactly how he'd pictured it. If Abby hadn't gotten sick then maybe... He imagined that she would have turned out exactly like Alexandra.

He had only known her for a few hours and already he could tell that the museum would be in good hands. While he was glad he had finally found someone who was at least willing to do the job, there was still a part of him that wasn't willing to trust anyone but himself with it. Yes, she was the first person who hadn't run. But who's to say there wouldn't be others? How could he really be sure that she was the right choice?

"Don't doubt yourself, Lawrence." Teddy said, clapping the younger man on the shoulder. "The others left due to their own weakness of character. It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah." But maybe it really had been? Maybe he'd just gone about it the wrong way. 'Don't doubt yourself,' he repeated the wiser man's words to himself.

Alex taunted Rexy with the bone, only pretending to throw it several times before actually letting go. Sacagawea couldn't help but laugh at the girl's antics. "I have a good feeling about this one," she said

"Yeah? Me too," Larry said, finally deciding. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. While he was relieved to finally find the right person, the fact that he was leaving became suddenly all too real.

"Come, my dear," Teddy said to Sacagawea, patting her hand on his arm. "Let's go for a stroll, and let the young woman continue her night watchman training." They left him there, chatting quietly to each other as they went.

Ahk found them only a moment later, Jed and Octavius on either of his shoulders. Out of all of the museums inhabitants only the ones who had once been alive, were aware during the day. Knowing this, Larry had warned Ahk earlier in the day that he'd be bringing a new candidate. He'd asked him especially to help her with the transition to this new world.

Ahk had decided to leave his crown in the crypt today, actually most days. It was just too cumbersome. And irrelevant, given his kingdom no longer existed. That crown, both figurative and literal, had been one of the things that, like the tablet, had caused him to lose the love of life.

"Where's our car, Gigantor?" Jed asked, getting impatient. Ahk was snapped from his increasingly depressing thoughts. The three inch tall cowboy had discovered, as Larry put it, 'A need for speed.'

"Oh," Larry said, suddenly remembering his nightly duties. "Alexandra, bring me the bone," he called out. He unzipped the duffle bag at his feet and pulled the familiar little, red remote controlled car out, along with some twine.

"It's just Alex and here," she said breathlessly as she jogged over and handed him the dinosaur rib. The giant creature had graduated her from fetch to playful chase.

Ahk had caught small glimpses of her as she'd darted around the walking skeleton, but now he got to see her face up close. And the breath was knocked from his lungs. "Impossible," he murmured, his eyes wide as saucers. His heart was hammering in his chest but his blood was frozen in his veins. He was certain she had died, turned to dust by the lightning that had struck her. Was he still dreaming?

"Alex, this is Ahkmenrah." Larry gestured with a nod, hands busy tying the rib to the car's rear bumper. "He's our resident pharaoh." Rexy began dancing in excitement, as Larry set the car down. The force of the animal's footfalls vibrated the floor. Larry relieved Ahk of his cargo. "And these are Jed and Octavius, from the old west and ancient Rome diorama exhibits," he said as lifting the tiny models individually as he said each of their names, before lowering them to the floor.

"Nice to meet all of you," she said giving a small wave then clasping her hands behind her back. She bounced excitedly on her toes. "So what's the car for?"

"Just wait and see, Little Lady" Jed replied settling into the driver's seat. She visibly flinched at the pet name, but was quick to brush it off. Then the small car was speeding down the hallways, a tyrannosaurus skeleton sprinting noisily after it.

"The car becomes real too," she exclaimed. "Holy crap, this is going to be the best job ever." Bouncing in a circle, she gave a small squeal. Her eyes landed on Ahk and she blushed at being caught. Instantly straightening up, she cleared her throat. "Sorry. I'm Alex." She offered her hand. Their gazes locked and he thought he might drown very happily in her ocean blue eyes.

Too stunned to do anything else, mechanically he replied, "I am Ahkmenrah, fourth king of the fourth king, ruler of the land of my fathers." He clasped her hand firmly. The all too familiar shocks ran through his body, like they only did for _her_.

"Okay, nice to meet you. Wow. Long name. Is it all right if I just call you Ahk?" He couldn't find an answer. How? How could she be here, now? And why introduce herself?

She shrugged at not getting a response and began to turn towards Larry, but Ahk's grip on her hand stopped her, forcing her to turn back. "Do you truly not remember me?" Was she rejecting him? Had what he'd done back then been too much for her forgiveness?

Her smile faded, and her sculpted brows furrowed in confusion. "What exactly am I supposed to remember? I'm sorry, that sounded really rude." She cringed at herself, but forged ahead anyway. "I mean, I've been to your exhibit before, but isn't this the first time we've actually met?"

"No," he said too quickly. "I-I mean yes. This is...our first meeting." He let go of her hand as though he'd been burned. He wanted to be angry that she was pretending not to know him. Was this his punishment? How was she here? Had she let her hair grow out? What happened to her scar? Wait. Larry had read him her file during the day. Pieces slowly began falling into place. He never in his wildest dreams thought it would be his Alexandra. And she wasn't rejecting him, she was just...younger. His breath caught in his throat. There was no mistake. This really was her. Younger, but her.

There had been a time when he had demanded to know the truth about her homeland. But he had only grown angry with her explanations and dismissed them as one of the many stories she told to the children of the court. He'd punished her for lying to him, but apparently she'd been telling him the truth the entire time. "I'm sorry," he said finally, knowing she wouldn't understand his true meaning. "I was... confusing you with someone else." He inclined his head to her, a custom he'd only recently picked up. "Again, I apologize." Was it even possible that he had found her again? No. He smiled to himself. She had found him. Just like the first time.

"No worries," she said, flashing him a brilliant smile and his heart skipped a beat.

His sentencing her for lying, had been the last conversation they'd had, until now. It was an argument that had ultimately not only taken her but also his own life. Oh! How he wanted to reach back in time and wring his own neck. But she knew nothing of this. At least not yet. While _he_ had met her long long ago, this was the first time that _she_ had met _him_. "Wibbly wobbly timey wimey," he murmured. It had, after all, been one of her favorite phrases. Now he understood why.

"Sorry, what?"

"Nothing." He had to keep her beside him. He placed one hand on the small of her back while gesturing deeper into the museum. "Perhaps I can give you a tour while Larry warns the Huns of your arrival."

Her eyes lit up and he resisted the urge to slap himself. "I forgot about the Huns. Mr. Daley, can I meet them?"

"It's Larry. And I suppose, just stick close. Don't try to run away from them or they'll try to tear your limbs off."

"Larry, are you certain that's a good idea?" Ahk asked. If something were to happen to her before she could go to the past...

Alex answered for herself. "Oh, come on. I can take care of myself. Don't worry so much, kid." She punched him lightly in the arm. It felt like a punch to the gut. This time, he noted, she was barely three years older than he was. Or at least three years older than he had been when he died. And yet she called him 'kid.' He wanted to tell her how little she had changed. And he wanted to tell her that he was, in fact, over three thousand years old. Instead he trailed silently behind them, like a lost puppy. They made their way, the long way around, to the Hun exhibit, making introductions to those they passed along the way.

The Huns, as it turned out, were not at their exhibit. After telling Alexandra to stay put, Larry had left to go search for them, leaving Ahkmenra to keep an eye on her. They sat on a bench across from the empty exhibit. After a few moments, she could no longer take the silence. "Soooo. What's your story, Ahk?" She asked, swinging her legs back and forth, in the gap between her feet and the floor.

"Pardon?" He'd been reminiscing again.

"You know, your story. I mean I know what the tour guides always say, but how much of it is true?"

"What do the tour guides say?" He knew very well what they said, he just wanted hear her voice. After being without it for three thousand years, he couldn't get enough of it.

"Well, to paraphrase, they say you became pharaoh at fifteen years old, after your father died, and that you died shortly before you turned eighteen."

"That much is accurate," he replied. This was awkward. Nicky had shown him several science fiction movies involving time travel, so he knew he could tell her nothing of what her future held. Even if it was firmly in his past. He couldn't tell her how much she meant to him. How much they meant to each other. Or even that he knew her at all. But treating her as a complete stranger, was proving to be the most difficult thing he had ever done. Especially when every part of him was screaming to kiss her senseless.

"Really?" she asked, again pulling him from his reverie.

"Though they do tend to leave out the fact that I had three wives."

"Three? Wow. Most guys can't keep up with one." He gave a rather undignified snort. If only she knew. "Geez, three wives before you were even eighteen? That's crazy."

"Actually, I had three wives before I was sixteen." He corrected. Then nearly had a panic attack at thinking about how she would perceive him. "But please understand that was the culture we lived in. And if I had been allowed to only have one I would have gladly done so."

Before she could respond with another question, the remote controlled car came skidding around the corner. Without giving Ahk a chance to stop her, she took off after it, easily keeping pace with it. "Hey, guys, seen the Huns around?"

Octavius leaned out the passenger window. "I believe they're in the African exhibit, Milady" he shouted.

"Thanks," she replied coming to a stop. Ahk had somehow managed to at least keep up with her.

"Perhaps we should wait for Larry, before finding the Huns." Scarcely had he gotten it out of his mouth, when he found himself slammed against the wall. She held herself tightly against him in an effort to avoid the lumbering giant heading their way. A smell that was uniquely her wafted into his nose. He swallowed hard, holding his palms tightly against the wall in fear of embracing her. For her it was too soon. If he gave in it would only scare her away, and ruin any chance his past self had with her. His eyes closed tightly. The pounding of Rexy's footfalls nearly went unnoticed. The fit of her body against his was just as perfect as he remembered. He was certain his fingernails were going to leave marks in the wall behind him.

"You okay?" she asked, pulling only her head back to look him in the eyes that had hesitantly cracked open. His eyes opened fully and his heart sped up. Time stood still. After three thousand years of waiting she was right in front of him and so very close. Against his will, his head began lowering towards hers, and his hands hovered over her hips as he fought for control. He wondered if she could hear his heart beat as loudly as he did. A sudden war cry turned their heads. She quickly put some space between them. "Found the Huns," she said into her walkie-talkie.

When Alex had contacted him, Larry had sprinted to the Hun exhibit as quickly as he could. Neither she nor Ahk were where he'd left them. In fact that entire hall was empty. He picked up the talkie. "Alex, I'm in front of the Hun exhibit, but where are you? Over." What part of 'Stay here' was so difficult to understand?

"We're around the corner, in Asian Mammals, near the main entrance. Over."

Larry had taken off before she'd even finished and came skidding to a halt beside them. "I thought I told you to...What the..." He blinked at the three unconscious Huns in a pile, before turning to Alex, who was hiding behind Ahk as Atilla and two more still conscious Huns tried to worship her. Running a hand through his hair, he looked from her to the pile, to Atilla, then back to her. "Okay, what happened?"

"I'm sorry," she said in a near panicked yell. "They just came rushing towards us screaming their heads off. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to." Her hands gripped Ahk's shoulders tightly. She steered him so that he was bodily shielding her from both Atilla's group and Larry. Ahk was trying not to smile like a fool. Of all the people she could turn to for protection, she chose him.

"You did this?" Larry asked. She lowered one hand to Ahk's arm, peeked around it and nodded. "By yourself?" She nodded again. "Ahk didn't help." She shook her head. "Atilla, get up." He pulled the Hun up by his collar, the cronies followed.

"You should take your people back to your exhibit. They'll probably be out for a while," Ahk said, secretly remembering a similar experience with a different group of attackers. Only they hadn't tried to worship her afterwards. Atilla looked at Alex, who squeaked and ducked back behind the young king, clinging desperately to his cape. Ahkmenrah couldn't stop the chuckle that slipped out. It earned him light thump on the back.

"Why are you hiding?" Larry finally asked.

"Because I didn't want to hurt them."

"You knocked them all out, but didn't want to hurt them?" This girl...

"It was self-defense. But then they stopped attacking and started doing that." From her hiding place she pointed at the few still conscious Huns, who had resumed their worship. "I-I just didn't know how to react. It's really starting to creep me out," she whined.

Larry pinched the bridge of his nose. "You can handle a Tyrannasaurus that thinks it's a dog, but not a group of people who think you're a goddess." She was giving him the eyes. The eyes. Geez. Even Nicky wasn't that good. He cursed under his breath. At least Ahk was having fun if that goofy look on his face was anything to go by.

Atilla looked to Larry and said something in gibberish. "No, she's not a god." More gibberish. "Yes, I'm sure. She's just as human as I am." Atilla responded and looked the girl over. The smile instantly vanished from Ahk's face as he protectively hid more of her from the Hun's view. "No, she won't marry you." Larry glanced at Ahk and Alex. "Besides, it looks like you'd have to get through him first. Have you _seen_ his guards?" Atilla mumbled under his breath as he and his henchmen each lifted an unconscious comrade onto their shoulders and started carrying them back to their exhibit. Larry returned his attention to Alex. "You okay?"

She came out from her hiding place, but kept one hand on Ahk's sleeve. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt them." Ahk placed a reassuring hand over hers and she glanced up at him before quickly looking back to Larry.

"Well, you two hit it off," Larry commented. He tried not to laugh when Alex shuffled away from the king.

She clasped her hands behind her back and looked at the floor. "Please don't fire me."

He had to admit, this was the first immature adult he'd ever actually liked. Who would have thought, there really was a good way to be childish. He should take notes, an act like that might get the ladies. He tried to picture it. Nope, didn't work. Not for him anyway. "Fire you for what? Should have seen me on my first night. You handled that a thousand times better than I did. Besides, they're made of wax, so no damage done." He put an arm around her shoulders, secretly noticing Ahk's flinch. "Now, do you want Ahk to give you a tour of the place, or do you want me to finish introducing you to everybody?"

She relaxed instantly, and the smile returned to her face as she turned to Ahk. "Sorry, Kid, but I've been here so many times, I know most of it like the back of my hand. So, introductions it is." He could feel Ahk glaring daggers into his back as they walked away. He had to chuckle. The girl worked fast, he'd give her that.

Alex lay in her bed that morning trying to get some sleep for her next shift. Her mind kept wandering to Ahkmenrah. She shifted under the covers for the thousandth time. Vaguely, she could hear the sounds of some of the other tenants waking up and moving around.

That look he'd given her just before the Huns attacked. What was that? Being so close to him had felt familiar and right somehow. She huffed. This wasn't some romance novel. Love at first sight wasn't a real thing. Plus, she was, at least technically, three years older than he was. Which wouldn't have been so bad, if that hadn't made him still a minor. And, according to the explanation given to her about the tablet, the age gap would only grow. Besides, she'd been taught to always separate her work life from her love life. Not that she'd ever had a love life.

Ahk wasn't just related to her work, he was her work. It was her job to protect the museum, and its inhabitants. If she did pursue this, whatever it was, with Ahkmenrah it wouldn't end well. Couldn't end well. Groaning, she kicked at her covers. It would be better to keep things as plutonic as possible.

She rolled to her side and looked at her hand. She could still feel the warmth of his fingers. For a dead guy he was pretty hot. A squeek escaped her as she threw the covers over her face to hide the blush. Apparently, keeping things plutonic would mean as little physical contact as possible. Maybe it would be better to just stay away from him. Yeah. There was no way that wouldn't work. Her decision firmly made, she finally drifted off into very confusing and slightly steamy dreams.

Ahk lay in his sarcophagus, listening to the tour groups pass through. How many times had she been in one of those groups, without him even realizing? Could mummified corpses smile? He was fairly certain his was. If he could he would be laughing and dancing too. She was back in his life again. She was alive. So very alive.

When she had been taken from him three thousand years ago, he had thought she was gone forever. He had seen the lightning strike with his own eyes. If his heart had been beating it would have stopped. For her that hadn't happened yet. But it was going to. She was going to die, and he wasn't sure he could stop it.

Was this what she had felt, when she had first encountered his past self? He wanted to save her, like she had saved him so many times before. What if he found a way to stop her from going back? But then he would never have met her. She would never have become his wife. He needed her. But his past self had needed her more.

If he told her anything about the past, how she died, how he'd died, would she try to change it when she got there? Could he change it from here, now? Could he somehow stop her from being in that place at that time? No. He would still lose her, because that was the day he had died too. And the tablet hadn't given him life until after his tomb had been rediscovered mere decades ago.

He felt a phantom twinge in his back. Lightning had been merciful compared to the end she would have received at his brother's hand. The only way to save her would be to prevent her going to the past. And he was right back where he started. If he had any blood flowing through his body right now, he was certain he would have a migraine. He wanted to sigh and massage his temples.

Keeping the bad memories meant keeping the good ones too. Memories he wouldn't trade for the world. When the time came, would he be able to let her go? Would he have a choice? He wasn't sure if he could handle losing her a second time. He wasn't even sure how much time he would have with her this time.

When he'd first met her, she had a deep, fresh wound on her cheek. Even his best healers hadn't been able to keep it from scarring. That wound would be his sign, until it appeared, he decided, he would simply enjoy the limited time he had left with her. Even if that meant making her fall in love with him all over again. He would worry about letting her go, or not, when the time came. Decision made, his consciousness began fading, as it was wont to do on occasion given his current state.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex, as it turned out, was a natural. On her second day, she went through her new routine as though she'd been doing it for years. Larry was so impressed that by the third day, he let her do the rounds by herself. Though he did, secretly, go behind her just to make sure. Dexter, who had actually behaved himself on the first couple of days took Larry's perceived absence as permission to steal her keys. With a little sweet talk, and a powdered doughnut, she easily got the keys back. And just like that, she had the capuchin wrapped around her little finger. After the customary two weeks, she was on her own as Larry left to pursue his thriving business.

On most days Ahk made it a point to stay at her side throughout her entire shift. Not that she minded, since some of the inhabitants did creep her out a bit. Aside from Rexy, Ahk was always the first to greet her. And somehow she was always in his crypt to say farewell when he climbed into his sarcophogus at sunrise. Even though she had promised herself that nothing would happen between them, she just couldn't stay away. It was like there was an invisible tether that kept pulling them together, no matter how hard she tried to pull away. Two years passed this way.

Larry had made a point of coming to visit at least one night a week. During one of these visits, he taught Rexy tug-of-war. Of course, the first time Alex had tried, Rexy had accidentally flung her against the wall. She woke up in the hospital, with a concussion and a broken leg. No one had expected the reaction from Ahk. Pure panic, until Larry conviced him the girl still had a pulse. Then from panicked straight to livid. Especially after Larry relayed the news that she would have to take over a month off from work in order to recover. The only thing that had calmed the young king down was Larry allowing him use his cell phone to talk with Alex from her home, and her promise to keep visiting every night that the pain meds didn't knock her out cold. Not that she wanted to, she had told herself, it was just to calm the mummy down. Angry mummies were never a good thing. Especially an angry mummy with two giant jackal statues as body guards.

Alex was one week into her healing process and the cast itched terribly. Larry had been visiting the museum more often, since he didn't want her out on her own while she was hurt and under the influence of strong pain meds. They'd arrived early today and met McPhee as he was leaving. He'd had to explain why so many of the exhibits were in crates, sitting in the main entrance. He seemed so proud of himself as he left.

She'd been leaning against the information desk through the whole thing. And she was surprised at herself for not going off on him. "How could he just... How could holograms ever be better than the actual exhibits?" She reached over the top of the desk and grabbed a stapler, flinging it in the direction he gone. The sunset without her realizing. "He can't do this. We have to stop him."

"Hey. Hey. Calm down," Larry said touching her shoulder gently.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" She slapped his hand away. She heard but didn't notice the crates opening as their occupants climbed out. She began advancing towards him dangerously. She was shouting now, "They're my friends. My family." She didn't realize she was crying until the taste hit her tongue. "They're all I have. You're the businessman. Do something. Fix this." She had a a crutch raised, pointing in the direction of the now gawking exhibits.

"I can't," he replied, flinching as her crutch swang dangerously close.

A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders and another around her middle, pulling her against a warm body and freezing her in her tracks. "Calm down," she heard Ahk's soft voice in her ear. Instantly, her body relaxed. She'd never understand how he could do that to her. "It's not his fault."

She came back to herself. "I'm sorry. Larry, I'm so sorry." This time she knew she was crying. Her crutches fell noisily to the floor as she spun around in Ahk's arms and hid her face in his chest.

Larry rubbed her back comfortingly. "It's not your fault Alex. I know it's just the meds."

With a sniffle she hopped away from Ahk and wiped her eyes. Teddy handed her a tissue from the box on the desk. She used it, the sound echoing strangely in the room. "I mean, sure we knew about the budget issues. But still..."

"Maintaining exhibits takes money," Larry explained. "Changing a bulb every now then is cheaper in the long run. People just don't come anymore. Not like they used to. They don't see the living aspect of it like we do." Ahk handed her the crutches as she nodded.

When things calmed down, Teddy offered to take everyone for one final stroll around their museum home. As Alex turned to follow, one of her crutches slipped with a squeak, on the marble floor. She would have had a hard landing if Ahk hadn't caught her. "I swear these crutches hate me," she huffed.

"I'm quite certain they're excluded from the life giving magic of my tablet, thus can't feel anything. Even if they could, it is impossible to hate you," he replied, easily lifting her into his arms bridal style. She managed to prop her crutches against the desk, before wrapping her arms around his neck. The first time she'd snuck in after breaking her leg, and every time after, he insisted on carrying her everywhere she wanted to go. She'd learned quickly that resistance was futile when it came to the young pharaoh. It was either let him carry her or knock him out so he couldn't, becuse he'd already proven that he was more than willing to sling her over his shoulder and carry her that way. Besides, no matter how badly she might want to knock him out, she could never bring herself to actually do it. At the sight of his cheeky grin, however, she lightly smacked his shoulder.

Ahk was staying. He wasn't going to leave her as she'd feared. Her heart felt lighter at finding that out. She wanted to slap herself. Teddy would be staying too, but he would be losing Sacagawea. Not to mention all of their other friends who were being shipped out.

She'd never tell anyone, but she suspected he liked her romantically. He was always just a little too attentive. He always knew when she was hungry, sometimes even before she did. When she'd gotten sick on two occasions he'd made it a point both times to make sure she took her medicine on time. She tried her best not to lead him on, she really did. But then he did something like act like her living wheel chair, because he noticed how much she struggled with the crutches. She could swear they were out to get her.

She had figured out months ago, that no matter how much she had tried not to, she was falling for him too. But she would never tell him. Even if she couldn't stay true to her decision to stay away from him, she could and had every intention of upholding her decision that nothing of that nature could happen between them. It was for the best, for both of them.

For Ahk the last two years had been blissful torture. Just being in her presence again had brought him more joy than he'd been able to experience since before his death. Not being able to tell her how much he loved her was pure torture. Whenever she did something adorable he could only smile at her, when he really wanted to kiss her.

Since he couldn't tell her his true feelings, he showed her instead, though he tried to be subtle about it. He was able to do small things, like listen to her vent, when she'd had a bad day. Sometimes they would watch television or movies together, on her days off when she snuck in anyway. He'd learned her favorites and found that he enjoyed them as well. He was there for her as much as he could be.

He had also learned that it took next to nothing for her to... excite him. All she had to do was put her hand on her belt, to reach for her keys or flashlight, and his eyes would automatically shift to her hips. Those hips, slight as they were, he had first hand knowledge about the things she could do...would one day do... with those hips. He had become very grateful of the sash at his waist, the tail of it hung at a rather convenient place and length.

For the first few days after her initial arrival, she had tried to avoid him completely. He had tried to be subtle about making that impossible, often coming to her to ask about the location of one inhabitant or another, even though he couldn't care less about where that particular inhabitant was at the moment. It took him another week just to get her to accept his touch. A light brushing of the hands or shoulders. A fist bump. A handshake. He wasn't picky.

Then, finally, she had gotten comfortable with him. He was fairly certain the other inhabitants saw them as inseperable. If she was here, he'd be right beside her every time.

He knew, though, that she only considered him as a friend and nothing more. But that was okay. He also knew he was going to lose her again. His time with her was limited. And he took every opportunity he was given to simply bask in presence. It was enough for him. It had to be enough.

The night passed quickly, too quickly for Ahk. Everyone returned to their crates, or, for the few lucky enough to stay, to their exhibits. Larry had gone with Teddy and the others to the main entrance. Alex, after grabbing her crutches, had been carried by Ahk to his crypt. Reluctantly, he finally set her down on her one good leg. Something was making him uneasy, though he couldn't put his finger on it. Perhaps it was simply because the others were being shipped off. Still, he found himself dreading this coming sleep, as though he wouldn't wake from it.

If she hadn't come back into his life, he would have relished the feeling. Judging from her somber mood, Alex seemed to sense it too, or maybe she was simply feeling more of the affects of the pain medicine that the doctor had given her.

"It's time," Alex said glancing at her watch.

"Until tonight then," he said, mentally adding, 'my queen.' Their eyes locked. He reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair back behind her left ear, letting his fingertips glide down her cheek when he let his hand drop back to his side. Unable to shake the unease, he grabbed her hand, before she could protest, and brought it briefly to his lips. Without looking for her reaction he climbed into his sarcophagus and closed the lid.

She was glad he couldn't see the blush staining her cheeks, as she hobbled back to the main entrence. It still hadn't faded by the time she got there. All the questions and teasing she received from Larry made her regret letting him give her a ride home.

The following night Larry had some late business and Alex had gone alone despite his protests. She'd arrived late, well after sunset and had gone straight to the crypt. What she saw had her instantly calling Larry. "The tablet is gone," she screamed into the phone.

She could picture Larry pulling the phone away from his ear and glaring at it. "Are you sure it wasn't just moved?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. Ahk isn't... Nobody is waking up." She had her palm pressed flat against the glass surrounding Ahk's sarcophogus.

"Just calm down, I'll be there... Hold on I have another call."

She stared at her phone and cursed. She had a feeling she was going to be here for a while. Hobbling back to the main entrance she hooked one of her crutches onto a wheely chair, and pulled it with her back to Ahkmenrah's crypt. She'd nearly made it when her phone rang. She dropped her other crutch trying to get to it and answered with a curse. "Love you too, Alex," came the sarcastic response.

"Sorry." She put the phone on speaker and set it on the chair on the seat of the chair, so she could, using the other crutch for support, very carefully lower herself to the ground to pick up the dropped crutch. "My leg," she complained. "It's causing grief again."

"Hurting?"

"No." She grabbed her phone and crutches and sat in the chair. She laid the items on her lap, and used her good leg to wheel herself over to Ahk's sarcophagus. The sound that the chair made rolling on the marble floor was almost deafening in the overly quiet room. It made her cringe. "Well, a little. Mainly just getting in the way." She shook her head. "Anyway," she said. "The tablet-"

He cut her off. "I know where it is."

She would have leapt to her feet, if she'd had two to land on. "What? Where?"

"The Smithsonian. Dexter stole it. Jed just called me. I think they're in trouble."

She paused, situating the chair. "I might just kill that monkey. And how did Jed even dial the phone?"

"That's what I said," he exclaimed. "I don't know, but he said something about Common Rah or something. I think he's supposed to be Ahk's brother or something. Anyway, there'll probably be a lot of running involved, so I'll handle it."

"Okay." She glared at the cast on her leg. "I guess I'll just...wait here." She leaned her crutches against the glass case.

"Or you can go home and get some rest, like the doctor told you to. My flight doesn't leave until tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll go in a bit. Just keep me updated when you do get there."

"I promise. Okay, I gotta go. Talk to you later."

"Kay, bye." She hung up and let her head fall against the case.

From his prison, Ahk heard the dull thuds of what he presumed to be her head banging lightly against the glass. "You know, this job doesn't really allow for a social life. You guys are the only friends I've got." Ahk did the only thing he could in his current state. He listened intently. If he could move, he would have carried her, as he had before, when her leg caused trouble. He would be holding her now as she shared her worries with him. "I love you, Ahk." If his heart had been beating it would have stopped. Oh, how he'd longed to hear those words again. "I mean," she corrected herself. "You're my best friend." And now it felt like he had been stabbed all over again. "What if he can't get the tablet back?"

If it really was Kahmunrah who had it, then they had bigger problems than just a missing tablet. If his brother ever learned of Alexandra's existence in this time period, he would stop at nothing to finish what he'd started all those eons ago. She was in danger and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Sorry. I don't even know if you can hear me. All I can do is whine lately." She cursed once again as she banged her head against the case again. "I feel so useless," she growled out. He believed the modern phrase was: 'Join the club.'

For a moment there was nothing but the silence of the museum, then he could hear her opening the case and coffin. "It's got to get stuffy in there," she said, peering down at him. With the lid off, and the lights on, even though he didn't really have eyes he could see whatever was directly in front of his empty sockets. Right now that was her face, and he couldn't stand seeing her like this. She was frightened and worried, like he'd only ever seen once. But that had been three thousand years ago, in a different life. He wished he could hold her and tell her that everything would work out.

He knew she hated seeing him like this. He'd tried to keep it from her, but she'd seen the actual transformation once. They had spent all night talking, and the sun began rising. He hadn't had enough time to get to the sarcophogus before the change took him. He imagined that for her it had been something straight out of one of the horror movies she had convinced him to watch with her. She had still been extremely upset the next night. It had never occurred to her what really happened to his body when the sarcophogus closed and the sun rose. She'd gone on for hours about how unfair it was that he had die over and over again every morning. After convincing her that it was a painless process, she finally let it go. Yes, he had lied to her, but there were some things that she was better off not knowing. It was a pain he now gladly suffered, because it meant he could be with her again the next night.

"There's nothing for me to do here, right now. I should probably go home." His heart sank until her eyes lit up. "But first, I thought you might want to watch the new episode of Dr. What with me." Yes, he really would.

Dr. What was a television series about a time traveler and it was her absolute favorite. He found it fitting. She'd shown him an episode and he found that he thoroughly enjoyed it, just as much as, if not more than, she did. Though he suspected it was more her presence he enjoyed rather than the show itself. Since then she would always wait and watch it with him whenever a new episode came out.

She situated the chair, so she could lean back and hold her smartphone up so he could see it. If he could see at all. She still wasn't sure. But she needed this. She needed to pretend things were normal or she'd only end up freaking out. Besides she wanted to watch it regardless, so if he didn't remember it tomorrow, she would just show him again. Provided Larry got the tablet back by then.

A few minutes in her arm got tired, but she decided if he could carry her for over eight hours straight then she could hold a phone up for him for forty five minutes. The thought passed through her mind that it might be more comfortable to climb in there with him, but she was afraid of damaging him in his current state. The air was already damaging enough, and if she got caught she'd be fired instantly.

When the episode ended she stood, massaged her sore arm, then leaned over the sarcophogus. "I know it's a long time until sunrise," she said. "I should probably go home, but I don't want to leave you alone." She was so tired, the pain meds really did a number on her. 'Go home. Sleep,' she could imagine him saying. He was always looking out for her like that. Her hand began reaching toward his face, before stopping short. She mentally slapped herself. It would only damage him right now. Besides there could be nothing between them, she reminded herself.

It wouldn't work out, it couldn't. And then she would be stuck with the heartbreak, and the awkwardness of having to see eachother almost every day. Yet, if she were honest with herself, there was a small and growing part of her that still wanted to give it a try. She cursed her luck. Of course she would fall for a guy she couldn't have. Either way, the thought of losing him was tearing her apart.

"I...I have to close you back in again. I'm sorry." She was fighting off the tears as she pulled the lid back over him and resealed the glass case. "I'll be back tomorrow," she said, her voice cracking. "Good night, Ahk."

She snuck in before sunset. She wanted to be with Ahk when she got the updates, just in case he really could hear her. The chair was right where she left it, tucked behind the case. Somebody was slacking. Not that she really minded given the circumstances. As she'd done the night before, she opened the case and sarcophogus. For several minutes she just sat with her elbows propped on the edge of the glass case, staring at him, waiting for Larry to call her. He finally did and caused her entire body to jerk badly. The force of it sent her chair into a spin that was interupted when her casted leg thudded against the case. Her eyes scrunched tightly. With a strained voice she answered and hit the speaker button, "Tell me you have good news."

"Well, I found the guys."

She sat up straighter. "Is everyone all right?"

"Not really. They've been trapped in a crate by Kahmunrah's soldiers. But the good news is that the sun hasn't set yet and the bad guys are only wax statues."

"What about the tablet?"

"Dexter has it. I'll just use this spear and," there were some soft noises coming through the phone as he worked. "Aha. Got it. No, no, no. Not now. Uhhh, I gotta go."

He hung up on her. She left her phone on the edge of the sarcophogus and glanced out the window. "They must have woken up." The minutes ticked by. She gave a noise of frustation, grabbed her crutches and started pacing around the crypt. "I think I might go insane with all this waiting. If that dinosaur wasn't already dead, I'd kill him. Stupid broken leg."

Ahk wanted to comfort her. To tell her everything was going to be all right. But his brother had the tablet now. If Rexy had not broken her leg and she had gone with Larry, Kahmunrah would have recognized her instantly and she would be dead now. As it was, if Larry failed, she would go herself as soon as her leg was healed, and she would die by his brothers hand before she could meet his own past self. His mind went silent until another thought struck him. Alex _had_ gone to the past, so did that mean Larry would succeed? All he could do now was have faith in his friend. That or give himself a headache he couldn't nurse, by imagining all the possible alternative timelines. Perhaps he should take a break from the time travel themed movies for a while.

Hours passed and she found herself pacing through the entire empty museum. That had been the corner where the Easter Island statue sat. And there was the case that had held Sacagawea. There was the tree that Dexter had sat in and the platform that the Huns had called home. Sunrise was coming soon and still she'd had no word from Larry. She finally stopped in front of Rexy, chatting to him. Scolding him and apologizing for scolding him only to repeat the process. What had she _thought_ was going to happen when she played tug-of-war with a freaking dinosaur? It was just as much her own fault as his.

She paused, a loud motor outside the main entrence catching her attention. What the heck was an old plane doing in the middle of the street? Larry stepped out, tablet in hand. Then the other exhibits came piling out too. She walked to the door and waved. She didn't trust herself to go slow enough to make it safely down the steps. Larry waved back and held up the tablet. Suddenly she found herself smushed against the glass, with a giant nose on her back. "Rexy," she shouted. He let her loose just enough for her to turn around and hug his snout. "Ahkmenrah," she realized out loud. She hobbled towards the crypt as quickly as she could on crutches.

He met her half way, and was just as surprised as he was when she dropped her crutches and flung herself at him. Laughing, he spun her around before letting her one good leg hit the floor. Neither pulled away. His joy turned quickly into confusion when she grabbed his face. To his utter delight she kissed him square on the lips. She pulled back, flustered at her own actions. "It's uhhh... It's almost sunrise," she said, blushing.

He snapped out of a daze. "So it is."

"You should... You should go." She clung to his sleaves, holding him in place. She couldn't keep the tears at bay any longer. "I was so scared," she admitted.

He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer. "I know. You told me. And that was very interesting episode last night, don't you think?"

She pulled back to look him in the eye. "You...You're aware when you're...like that?"

He nodded. "Sometimes."

"But you can't move or speak..." she trailed off, now crying for a completely different reason. She tucked her head under his chin, not wanting him to see. She felt him kiss the top of her head.

"Those moments, though trying, mean I can come to life at night and hold you like this. That alone makes it worth it." She sniffled and pulled away, cursing her pain meds again. If they didn't knock her out they made her an emotional wreck.

He touched her face, his hand lingering on her left cheek. She forced herself to pull away from it. "You really should go. The sun's coming up." She saw the pain in his eyes, before he hid it beneath his usual mask.

"Yes. You're right." He picked up her crutches and handed them to her before leaving her to return to his sarcophogus.

The night program at the museum really took off. The people were loving it. Larry had returned to the museum as a night guard. Alex, still on medical leave, was of course at the museum. Where else would she be?

She hopped over to Larry. "So the museum gets an anonymous donation, that just so happens to keep everyone here. I wonder who could have done that."

"Huh, really? I have no idea," Larry replied with a smile.

"Uh huh." She bumped his shoulder with her own. Then hobbled away to see how everone was fairing with the crowds. Poor Rexy had to pretend to be animatronic. He was actually doing very well, until a group of boys provoked him. Attila the scary Hun, was telling stories to a group of children. She just hoped they were appropiate, not that anyone could understand him anyway. Finally she joined the group listening to Ahkmenrah.

"My parents gave me this tablet some three thousand years ago." He gestured to the tablet that Dexter was holding.

"Does it do anything?" a little girl asked.

" _Do_ anything?"

"Yeah, what's the point if it doesn't do anything?"

He looked to Dexter, suddenly getting excited. "Actually, it has a magical power that brings all of the exhibits to life." Alex literally face palmed.

"No, really. What does it do?"

His face fell. "Nothing, it's just for decoration."

The little girl turned to her friend. "I knew it."

Alex had to find a seat before she fell over from the laughing fit.

The last visitor finally left and the museum was locked up. With the night program now in place, everyone thought they were all actors and special effects. Finding more security guards had become a lot easier, so Larry had been able to take off early to give Alex a ride home, provided anyone could find her. She had dissappeared an hour before closing.

Ahkmenrah was the one to find her. She was sitting on a platform near the entrance of his exhibit and leaning back against the ankles of one of his guards. The guard was afraid to move for fear of disturbing her and could not even so much as bow when Ahk entered. The jackal seemed nervous as that could have been seen as a sign of disrespect. Ahk quickly eased his fears by quietly thanking him for taking such good care of her.

She'd been on her feet too long, and had been forced to take some of her pain medication. That, combined with the lack of sleep and the stress of helping to set up the new night program had taken its toll on her. He knelt before her, and gently nudged her shoulder while calling her name. Shifting in her sleep, she muttered his name, but didn't wake. A strand of hair had slipped out of her ponytail and he tucked it back behind her ear. Her hair was so long. He wondered how much time he had before she cut it short like it had been the first time he laid eyes on her. Sleeping still, she nuzzled into his hand, causing a sad smile to form on his face. "I wish I could keep you, Hemet," he whispered.

Scooping her up into his arms he headed towards the parking garage, where Larry was waiting. It had been difficult to get into the car, since the cast kept getting in the way, but between the two of them, they managed without waking her. Ahk carefully set her body into the seat, while Larry carefully manipulated her legs into position. "I think we'll have to talk to the doctor about her perscription," Larry said. "She shouldn't be this out of it, maybe she's too small for the dose." Ahk tried to pull away so Larry could buckle her in, but her arms held fast to his neck. With smirk on his face and a sigh on his lips, he kissed her temple, and like magic she let go. "So," Larry said, a smirk on his face, as Ahk pulled his head out of the car. "There something you wanna tell me?"

He expected Ahk to be flustered, but instead the pharaoh shot a sad glance toward the girl in the car. "Wibbly wobbly timey wimey," he replied with a sigh.

"What? Isn't that something from Alex's show?"

"Yes." He stood tall and looked Larry straight in the eye. "There are many things I wish tell you, and her, but until the proper time I can't." His answer was rewarded with a confused stare. "Know this, I will be whatever she needs me to be, regardless of the depth of my own feelings, or the pain it brings me." After a moment he sighed again. "In this moment, what she needs...what she desires is simple friendship."

"Wow. You got it bad," Larry said as he ducked in to fasten the seatbelt around Alex. When he closed the door Ahk caught his shouler.

"You cannot tell her."

"I won't, but you should. I've seen how she looks at you. I really think you have a shot." Larry went around to driver's side and got in.

As he was pulling out Ahk answered quietly to himself, "I am too weak when it comes to her. If I took that shot, I would give away too much." As he walked back to his crypt he was torn between cursing fate's doom in knowing that he would eventually lose her or thanking fate's mercy in giving him more time with her.


	3. Chapter 3

Alex never was able to get over the fact that she'd kissed him. And she was pretty sure that he'd kissed back. The old, worn out work life vs. love life argument rolled around over and over in her mind. Mixing the two never ended well. If things didn't work out she'd still have to see him every day at work. That would get awkward, and painful for both of them. Then she'd have to quit her job. A job which she absolutely loved.

Over time, as she'd gotten to know him, things like mummy, six foot whatever, and seventeen had faded into the background in the face of _who_ he was. All she saw now was just Ahkmenrah himself, so she couldn't use the age thing as a valid argument anymore. In truth she was running out of excuses. This scared her, because she knew it wouldn't work. When she was old and gray, he'd be exactly the same. It was like something out of a vampire novel. Even if that wasn't an issue, he couldn't risk leaving the museum. If they stayed out too long, he would turn to dust. Which meant they couldn't even go on any real dates. Then there was the fact that she did want kids someday. Even if he could father children, they would never be able to see him except after dark. For him there would be no teaching his son to play catch, or scaring off his daughter's suitors. She would virtually be a single parent.

Okay, maybe she wasn't out of excuses. Or she'd just become really good at making more. This wasn't a story where she could just throw everything away for the sake of love and everything would work out. Where the characters didn't care about the hardships that lay ahead, only about being together. This was real life. Her life. Love really didn't conquer all, and no matter how badly she wished for it, there was no way for them to actually _be_ together. But then she would think about losing him again, this time, maybe, forever. And she wasn't sure she could cope with something like that. She couldn't move forward with her feelings, but she couldn't go back either.

After kissing him, she'd stayed away almost for the entirety of what was left of her sick leave. Apparently Ahk had been worried sick. When she came back he'd been visibly relieved, followed by hurt and a little angry.

She'd apologized to him for losing control in the heat of the moment. And explained that she'd stayed away so she could sort out her own feelings. She'd been lying through her teeth when she told him she didn't want it to happen again. He was her best friend and she didn't want anything to change that. That had been, at least partly, a lie too, but it was the right thing to do. Or so she thought until his responce had been to excuse himself back to his crypt only shortly after he'd just woken from it. The look on his face, like she'd betrayed him, even though it only showed for split second, almost made her wish she could take it all back.

In the two years since the Dexter had stolen the tablet, she'd done everything in her power to get over him. It didn't help when he invaded her dreams every time she closed eyes in sleep. She'd even tried to start dating again. That wasn't working out too well. Not only was she having trouble finding time between shifts, but she'd also discovered her subconscious was comparing them all to Ahkmenrah. None of them made her feel the spark that happened everytime their hands would accidently brush. None of them were tall enough, or tan enough, or kind enough. None of them had an accent. More than anything, none of them could tell what was going on in her mind, even before she did. Eventually she realized, even though she couldn't be with him, she couldn't be with anyone else either. She couldn't be honest with anyone. If she told them about the museum and what she really did for a living, they'd write her off as crazy. Probably even get her carted off in a straight jacket. But if she refused to tell them, they would think she was having an affair or something, with all the time she spent at work.

She'd actually managed to keep the dating a secret from all her museum friends. At least until Larry had a slip up in front of Ahk. To this day she thought he'd done it on purpose. Ahkmenrah had been angry when he found out and had actually forbidden her from going on any more dates, which, of course, made her scream at him, telling him that he wasn't her father and she could do whatever she wanted. She never told anyone, but as soon as she'd gotten home that morning she shut down her profile and gave up the dating game. Maybe it was for the best, since she was more or less married to her job anyway. Maybe she was just one of those people who didn't get a happy, sappy ending.

She walked up the steps and let herself into the house. Larry had bought it shortly after his business took off, before he came back to the museum. As soon as he saw her, he shoved two boxes into her arms. One was large and flat, the other was obviously a shoe box. He pushed her into the bathroom. "You're going with me. End of story."

"But-" He slammed the door in her face.

"You're not coming out until you change."

"But I thought you liked me the way I am," she said as she began undressing. The long skirt of the sparkling, deep blue evening gown caused her to trip three times. All she was doing was walking out of the bathroom. The matching high-heeled shoes weren't helping either. Though she did appreciate the split in the side of the skirt that went almost to her hip. At least _one_ leg could move freely, she was just glad she had shaved her legs earlier. "Do I really have to wear this?" She tried to adjust the top, it was just a little too low cut for her comfort.

"Yes," he said, fiddling with his bow tie. "If i have to wear a tux, you have to wear that. Besides, you know how big tonight is."

"I don't care," she growled. "How 'bout I wear the tux, and you wear the dress?"

"You look fabulous, darling," he said, holding his hand flat in mid-air. He was a little too good at that voice. He grew serious again. "Please? For me," he asked, taking her hands as he gave her the puppy dog eyes, combined with a pout. She glared at him. He was her mentor, and, over the last four years had become the occasionally over protective, older brother she'd never had.

She sighed in defeat and held a finger in his face. "Just this once."

"Thank you." He escorted her to the car.

"Just don't yell at me if I lose the shoes," she mumbled. He laughed and ruffled her hair.

She'd just gotten a hair cut the day before. Really short. So there really was no way to style it. As an act of rebellion, she used the mousse still in her hair from earlier that day to ruffle it up a little more "Nice." Larry said as they pulled into the parking garage. She just glared at him as he reached over to smooth it all back down. After looking around a bit he wiped his hands on the fabric seats of his car. She shrugged, it was an old piece of crap anyway. And she was pretty sure the seats had seen a lot worse than hair mousse.

Sacagawea met them at the door, giving Larry a run through of the preparations for the show. Members of the staff were running around everywhere, trying to get in some final touches before the show. And the hum of a multitude of conversations could be heard even from here. Alex clutched her hands in front of her and intentionally regulated her breathing. She didn't really do very well with large crowds.

As Sacagawea finished, Ahkmenrah found them. "Larry," he called out. "There is..." He stopped short and stared unabashedly at the sight before him. "Alex?" He once again found himself thankful of his sash.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up while you can. It ain't happening again," she growled.

"Why would I laugh? You look absolutely stunning. N-not that you weren't beautiful before." He was flustered. That was unusual for him

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah." The sarcasm was thick. There was a reason she didn't wear dresses. She knew she couldn't pull off the girly girl look.

He couldn't stop himself from reaching towards her and tucking an imaginary stray lock of hair back behind her ear. "No. Truly. You are." His voice was earnest, begging her to believe him. And she kind of did.

Her scowl vanished, her nerves forgotten. "Really?"

"Cross my heart." It was something she had taught him to say when people were doubting his words.

She gave him a shy half smile. "Thanks."

Then he noticed. "Your hair," was all he could get out. He looked like he was actually mourning the loss of it.

"Yeah. It got so long that it kept getting in the way of everything. So I decided to try something different."

He seemed troubled by it, but ran a knuckle down her left cheek. "It's beautiful," he said. And she could swear she heard his voice crack.

"What did you need, Ahk?" Larry asked, interupting their moment, much to Alex's relief.

Ahk's hand dropped back to his side. "There is something you both should see." He led them to his crypt. They stood on either side of him as he showed them the tablet, which appeared to be corroding.

"Has it ever done this before?" Larry asked.

"No, never."

Alex felt a chill run down her spine as she watched a little more of it corrode. Ahk seemed to faint. Larry and Alex supported him as he regained his footing. "You okay?" they asked in unison.

He gave them a weak chuckle. "Yes. I'm fine."

"What's going on with it?" Larry asked.

"To be honest, I have no idea. It was my father who knew all the secrets of the tablet. Unfortunately he took them to his grave."

"Ok," Larry said, patting Ahk on the back. "We'll figure it out tomorrow. You have fifteen minutes, take it easy out there." He took off, on a mission to make tonight go smoothly.

"You really okay?" Alex asked, her hand still resting on his arm.

"Yes. Don't worry about me. Just go enjoy the show."

"Okay." She gave a last glance to the tablet and to Ahkmenrah before following Larry. Having reached the end of her usefulness, at least for this project, she went in and found an out of the way seat. She wanted to kill Larry for dragging her here and then ditching her. It was very awkward to be sitting alone. Like wearing a dress and being in a crowd weren't bad enough. She kept getting sympathetic glances from the guests and other staff. All she wanted to do was walk right back out and go home. But seeing as she was already here, she may as well stay and support her friends. Besides, who was she to turn down free food and drinks?

As the show began, she was glad she had stayed. Everyone had been working on this far longer then she'd realized. It was amazing. The constellations danced around the room, enchanting everyone. She made a mental note to get a special treat for Dexter for such a marvelous gymnastics performance. She clapped louder than anybody. Then Teddy began his speech, she was just as enrapt as the guests. A sudden chill ran down her spine, and she held her breath as all the exhibits went crazy. Her minor phobia forgotten, she leapt to her feet and began escorting the guests out as quickly as she could. Most of them ignored her and simply ran for their lives. Larry tried his best to talk sense into the museum's inhabitants, but nothing could get through. It was a couple of hours before everyone was themselves again.

While Larry had a talk with everyone else, Ahk and Alex were in the crypt. Larry had excused them since they hadn't been part of the ruckus. They were side by side, leaning against the back of the glass case and staring at the tablet. "It's getting worse," she said.

"I know," he said solemnly.

"What are we going to do?"

He was quiet for a moment. "If you can find my father, we can take the tablet to him and perhaps he will tell us why this is happening."

This feeling of dread and helplessness was too much like two years ago. She felt like she was losing him again. If the tablet corroded completely he really would never wake up again. This time, she swore to herself, she wasn't going to stand by wait. "We'll fix it," she promised. They heard Larry calling for her. "That's my ride."

Ahk grabbed her hand before she could leave. "I'll see you tomorrow night, Alex." Just like two years ago, he placed a kiss on it.

Instead of snatching it back as he expected her to, she squeezed his hand. "Promise?" In spite of fighting her feelings for him, she knew she couldn't handle losing him.

"I swear on my own grave, we will see each other again tomorrow night."

"We'd better," she said, giving his hand one last squeeze before hesitantly pulling away and leaving.

Larry and Alex had a disagreement about which method of research would be better. So they decided to each do their own research. He would do the footwork, going to the research library at the museum to dig up everything he could about the tablet. She would search around online trying to find out all she could about the location of Ahk's parents. He called her at noon. "Alex, I found out where Ahk's parents are. They're at-"

"The British Museum," she finished for him. "Figured that one out hours ago."

"Okay, Smarty pants, did you know that it was Cecil's dad who found Ahk and the tablet fifty years ago?"

"What, seriously? Cecil the old night guard who tried to frame you for stealing the tablet?"

"Yep. It was a joint operation, so some of the artifacts that were dug up stayed in Egypt while the rest were divided between the American and the British museums."

"Okay, lets just call this one a tie. Mine may have been way faster, but yours was a lot more thorough. Though, technically, all we really needed was their location. So what's the plan?"

"First we need to get Ahkmenrah and the tablet to England. I'll fill you in on the rest after I talk to Dr. McPhee. And start packing, 'cause we're going overseas."

That night they'd filled Ahk in on the plan. In order to get there quickly, Ahk had agreed to go into the Sarcophogus before the sun set so they could prep him and his tablet for delivery themselves. By the next day they were in England. This was Alex's first overseas trip. They'd had just enough time to visit Big Ben and get back to the British museum before sunset. Normally she would have enjoyed it, but her heart just wasn't in it.

In the delivery van they sat at the security window waiting for Tilly, the British museum's rather chatty night guard, to confirm the delivery. Alex fidgeted in her seat, it felt really weird to be sitting on the left side of the vehicle and not be driving. She let Larry do the talking while she zoned out. Until she heard, "So, awh you two a couple?"

She and Larry looked at each other, then back to Tilly. "Eww. No," They said in unison.

"That would be like dating my sister," Larry added.

Tilly laughed a bit. "Yeah, right. Wha'eva. Yoh secret's safe wif me." She failed a wink and buzzed them in. "Go on then." Alex and Larry looked at each other again and both shuddered.

"No offense, Larry. But you're just not my type," Alex said, when they were moving again.

He chuckled. "So what is your type? Tall, young, exotic kings with British accents?"

"Shut up." She punched him in the shoulder. "It's not like that."

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," he teased and received an even harder punch.

They dropped Ahk off at the loading dock, letting Tilly help them drag the heavy cargo into the building. Then they pulled out, hid the van and snuck back in on foot. Ahk was able to unlock the door from the inside, ushering them into the building. Loyal as always, their other friends appeared, popping out of the crate one by one. How everyone could fit in that crate, around Ahk's sarcophogus was beyond her. Atilla and Dexter, Teddy and Sacagawea, Jed and Octavius. Even Larry's caveman doppelganger, Lah, had stowed away, much to Larry's dismay. "He really wanted to come," Ahk explained.

Larry convinced Lah to guard the door, while everyone else took off to find Ahk's parents. The first room had Alex clinging to Ahk's arm and half hiding her face against his shoulder. Maimed statues wriggled around the floor. "They're like a cross between zombies and the crying angels. It's seriously creeping me out," she said, and he completely agreed. He pulled his arm out of her clutch so he could wrap it around her shoulders comfortingly. The villains from Dr. What were some of the most disturbing things he'd ever encountered. And these moving statues did indeed greatly resemble them. The second they were out Ahk and Alex both gave a sigh of relief and she pulled away from him.

They continued on until they came to a hall of stuffed animal heads, now alive on the walls. "You know, maybe we should have studied a floor plan of this place," Alex said. It's not like they hadn't had time.

"Shh. Do you hear that?" Larry asked. They all froze. Aside from the sounds of the awakening exhibits, there was a growing thunder. Around the corner came a galloping Triceratops skeleton. It skidded to a stop when it saw them.

"It's an herbivore, so it won't chase us, right? Because I'm pretty sure Tai Chi doesn't work on a dinosaur," Alex said. She had grabbed Ahk's sleave and was already inching them toward the other end of the hall.

"Relax," Larry said. "I know how to handle this." Alex stopped to watch as he grabbed a tusk off the wall and attempted to initiate a game of fetch. Unfortunately, this wasn't Rexy.

"Might I suggest another course of action?" Teddy asked, as the dinosaur stared at them.

"Like what?" Larry replied.

"Run." Springing into action, the entire group booked it back down the hall, the dinosaur hot on their tails.

Soon they came upon large round room full of medieval artifacts. Luckily it had a door, which they quickly barred shut. Their relief only lasted for a few scant seconds before the thick wooden door shattered like glass. The triceratops went straight for Larry, pinning him against a suit of armor that was against the wall.

From around the dinosaur, Alex could the armor start moving. In surprise, the creature stepped back, before the real fight ensued. Everyone scattered. The dinosaur spun wildly as it fought off its attacker. Its tail caught Atilla, knocking him over. Larry raced to the downed Hun, easily dodging the flailing appendage. Alex pulled Ahk out of the way as the tail swung back towards them, but she wasn't quite fast enough and the very tip, apparently chipped, caught her left cheek, and gashed it open. Ahk was wide eyed as he tried to wipe some of the blood from her dripping wound. "It's just a scratch," she reassured him, shrugging it off, and wiping at it with her sleave.

He kept fussing at it, trying to make it go away. "No, no, no," he muttered repeatedly.

Finally she pinned his arms to his sides. "I'm fine," she said forcefully, breaking him out of his stupor. He nodded and they returned their attention to the fight.

With a final mighty blow, the suit of armor defeated the rampaging beast and sent it packing. The man inside the armor, as it turned out, was Sir Lancelot of the Roundtable. Or at least a wax rendition of him. To Alex's amusement he compared Larry to the court's jester. Then he carried on about Camelot and Guinevere and she had to wonder if everyone in England was this chatty. He insisted on joining the quest, which hit another road block when Atilla discovered that Jed and Ocatavius, who had been riding in his hat, were missing.

They had to back track, but were only able to find Octavius's cape caught in a floor vent. "They won't last long in those heating vents," Teddy said.

Ahk looked slightly forlornly down into the vent and added, "At their size they'll bake like scarabs in the Sinai." Everyone stared at him. "Too dark?"

"Little bit," Alex replied shaking her head.

Larry quickly found the control panel for air ducts and turned them all off. "Alex, gimme your phone."

"Why?" she asked, handing it over.

"For Dex." The monkey had found his way to her shoulder and perked up, chittering at the sound of his name. "He's the only one of us who can fit."

"I don't understand a single thing that is going on," Lancelot said.

"Me neither," said Alex, shooting a glare at Larry. "What's going on?"

Larry started fiddling with some thin rope. Where did he find that? Alex wasn't so sure she wanted to know. Finally, he answered, "I'm, uhh, sort of set up to track your phone."

"Say what?"

"Nicky's too."

"You track my phone?"

"I'm just trying to look out for you. You're the one that decided to go on dates with complete strangers you met online."

"More like stalking me. And I haven't done that in ages. What the heck is wrong with you?" She was trying very hard not raise her voice but that only made it sound more like a growl.

"Fine. You're right. I'm sorry. I'll take it off later. But right now we need it to track Dexter." With much mumbling and a few choice words on the part of Alex, they followed the tracker.

Their course led them to a humongous room filled with a wide variety of now living exhibits and artifacts. Alex's anger flew out the window, replaced with awe at the beauty of it all. She had to hold on to Ahk's sleeve or be left behind in her gawking. Larry and Lancelot took the lead as they discussed the tablet. Then Lancelot fell back to let Ahk catch up with him. "Is it true that this tablet possesses magic?" he asked.

"Yes, it is." Ahk always took great pride in explaining the tablet. Alex could only barely pay attention to the conversation as he gestured to the artifact in his hand. "Everything you see around you has come to life for the very first time, all because of this tablet."

"Amazing. And none of them realize they're not real," Lancelot replied, not grasping the concept that he was one of them. "They must be very stupid." Alex's attention had finally been captured as she shared a look with Ahk and Teddy.

"Guys," Larry called. "I think we're going to have to cut through Asia." Alex finally released Ahk's sleeve to catch up with Larry. They passed through a hall filled with asian paintings. All of the painting were now moving. Atilla nodded his approval at a few of them, even pointing some out to Alex, who had to agree, that they were beautiful.

Before they could make it to the next section, a little golden statue dashed in front of them and danced around. Each of its steps tinkled on the marble floor. It looked like a cross between a monkey and a parrot, only rounder. "It's a garuda from Tibet," Teddy said. Though how he knew that was anyone's guess.

The creature seemed determined to stop them from entering the next room. There was only a short delay in their unguided tour, really all they had to do was step over the desparate creature. But then they saw why the garuda had been trying to stop them. A giant, multi-headed snake statue lay sleeping in the middle of the room they needed to pass through.

The group quickly split to either side of the door, in an attempt to hide. Larry read the information plaque. Kneeling down to the garuda's level, Alex quietly thanked it, and explained why they had to keep going anyway. She could feel Ahk's eyes on her back, but chose to ignore him for the moment. Standing back up, Alex watched half amused as Larry and Lancelot argued about what they should do.

"It's a xianglu," Larry read. "It's a mythical snake demon."

"Well it looks like a dragon. I say we kill it," Lancelot said.

"We can't kill it, it's asleep," Larry argued. Alex sided with Larry on this one. Killing it now would be just plain rude.

"You're right that's not very sporting," the knight agreed. "How about we wake it up and then kill it. I shall go first and I shall take the boy with me." Alex looked down at herself. Sure the uniform wasn't very flattering, and it hid her rather small curves, and her hair was short enough now to be a boy's cut, but seriously?

"What? No. You're not gonna take the boy."

"Why not?"

Alex answered for herself, her voice coming out as a growl. "Because she's not a boy."

"Truly? So you're only pretending to be a boy? You certainly have the walk down." She would have attacked him had Ahk not placed his hands firmly on her shoulders to hold her in place. The garuda sympathetically patted her on the ankle.

"It's not worth it," Ahk whispered in her ear. She took a breath and calmed almost instantly. This guy was really working nerves.

"Okay, you know what?" Larry said, showing some of his own annoyance. "We're going to go around it and we're going to do it now, before I lose the signal."

They quietly filed into the room, sticking close to the wall as they started to work their way around. Not even half way through, Alex felt a familiar chill. As if on cue Teddy began loudly spouting some of his famous lines. Sacagawea turned completely to wax. Atilla began panicking and screaming. Ahk fell back, mouth open in silent pain.

Alex caught him before he could land and lowered them both to the floor. She supported him keeping him in a sitting position. He was gasping and clinging to her arms around his shoulders. Her heart was hammering in her chest. He was dying all over again and all she could do was hold him. Atilla was soon next to her, too frightened to do anything but cower against her back. She watched as Larry and Lancelot fought the creature. Her fists wouldn't work against metal, and she wasn't about to leave Ahkmenrah like this. "It'll be ok. Everything will be all right," she whispered to Ahk and Atilla as her thumbs stroked Ahk's shoulders in what she hoped was a comforting manner. She only wished she could believe it.

Ahk managed to lift a hand to her uninjured cheek. "Th-Thank you," he breathed. She shook her head and bit her lips together, fighting off tears, and held his hand in place when he lost the strength to keep it up himself. One of the snake heads flew towards them and she dropped his hand to shield him as much as she could with her tiny body. Larry intercepted it before it could hit.

Lancelot continued to beat back the heads as Larry ran for the...defribillator? He charged it up and leapt at the xianglu, which soon lay unmoving on the floor. "These things really do save lives," Larry said. Alex felt like she was missing something, but let it drop.

Just as quickly as it had come, the side effects of the corroding tablet eased, and everyone was back to normal. Or at least mostly normal. Teddy's hand remained wax. Larry found his dropped phone, now completely broken. Ahk, back on his feet asked, "How will we find them now?"

Larry was quiet for a short moment. He looked at Alex who was not so subtly fussing over Ahkmenrah, while the young king tried to convince her that he was fine. He came to a difficult decision. "Change of plans. If we don't get to Egypt soon, we won't be saving anybody."

It wasn't long until they finally reached the room that held the Egyptian exhibits. Lancelot said his overly lengthy goodbye before leaving them. Ahk was getting visibly excited the deeper in they went. "I haven't seen these walls in many a moon," he said, voice trembling only slightly as they entered the crypt. He looked like he was finally coming home. Alex ignored the pang in her chest. What if he decided to stay here when this was all over? Did she even have the right to ask if he'd return to New York with her?

"Ahkmen?" A woman called out, as she quickly and gracefully glided towards him.

"Mother." He left Alex's side to greet the woman with a hug. There was a man who soon followed her. "Father," Ahk said, a look of disbelief crossing his face as he left his mother to embrace the man. Alex smiled softly, touched by the scene. Ahk pulled away to make introductions. "Father, these are my friends."

The man stood proud. "I am Merenkahre, pharaoh of the Nile and father to the son of the sun."

The woman stood tall beside him. "And I am Shepseheret, the glittering jewel of the nine kingdoms."

Very modest people, Alex noted sarcastically. "I am Larry," said Larry.

Ahk added, "Guardian of Brooklyn."

"I'm Alex," she said.

Ahk threw her an impish smile. "Sparkling treasure of New York City," he added. Alex raised an eyebrow at him, while his parents shot him a confused look.

Larry continued. "We would be honored if you would take a look at the tablet. There's something wrong with it and we don't know what it is or how to fix it."

Ahkmenrah handed the tablet to his father, who examined it. "It's losing its power," he explained.

"Do you think you can fix it?" Alex asked.

"To do that I would have to divulge the secrets of the tablet."

"I promise we won't tell anyone," Larry said.

"No."

Alex, patience snapping got in his face. Or at least as close as she could given the difference in height. "If you don't neither you nor your son will ever wake up again."

"I will not be threatened by a child. Even one who comes from the heavens." Alex blinked. What the heck was that supposed to mean? Then her anger returned even stronger. If he was hitting on her, so help her, she was going to...

"Father," Ahk interupted pulling her back by the shoulders then stepping between them to shield them from each other's wrath. "Why do you insist on keeping this to yourself."

Merenkahre looked at his son. "The secret of the tablet was to be passed on to you at the proper time." Really? Alex wondered if the elder pharaoh's stupidity was a result of the tablet's decay. Because becoming a full on pharaoh seemed like way past the proper time.

"It has been three thousand years," Ahk reasoned. "Now seems like a good time."

Merenkahre placed a hand on his son's cheek, then for the first time since its creation gave up the secrets of the tablet. He spoke of why and how he'd had it made, and what powered it. He'd explained that their shared tomb was made especially so that the rays of their moon god would shine through every night to power the tablet. He ended his spiel with, "It's been away from Khonsu's light too long."

Again Alex felt the corrosion before she saw the effects. Ahk fought to stand as the pain of death returned. "My son," Shepsehret exclaimed. "What is happening to you?"

Ahk's father quickly stepped towards Larry, passing him the tablet. Seeing the proof of Alex's words first hand finally swayed him. "It needs moonlight. Otherwise we shall all be dead by sunrise." Ahk finally collapsed, his mother catching his head in her lap. He reached weakly towards Alex who was instantly at his side, grasping his hand tightly. "Hurry! If the tablet dies nothing can bring it back."

Larry took off at a dead run, Sacagawea right at his side. Alex once again remained with Ahk, not willing to leave him as he was. If she let him out of her sight it might be the last time she saw him alive. Sacagawea soon returned, explaining that Lancelot had stole the tablet and Larry had gone after him. Teddy quickly leapt into action, taking off directly towards where Lancelot would most likely be headed. Alex bit her lip to keep from screaming. She'd known the guy was bad news, she should have beaten him when she had the chance instead of letting Ahk talk her out of it.

A few tears escaped from Alex's eyes as she held Ahk's hand to her heart. Her other hand was caressing his cheek before she could stop it. His mother kindly rubbed her back in a comforting motion. His father looked on. Slowly the pain passed and Ahk tucked an imaginary loose strand of hair back behind Alex's ear. The three of them helped each other up and they, along with Merenkahre left to find Larry and Teddy. Shepseheret remained beside Ahk, holding his hand as they all rushed through the museum. Alex respectfully gave them space, but kept a worried eye on Ahk in case he relapsed. Squashing the pain of rejection, she understood that he needed his mother now more than he needed her. Besides, this kind of losing him didn't hurt as bad as losing him to the dying tablet.

She was finally starting to comprehend why the characters in all of those vampire romance stories were able to ignore every potential obstacle to be with their lovers. Because time was short, and he was worth it. And having him gone forever would hurt far worse than any of the pain she had been cowering from for the last four years.

There was a crossroads in the museum where both groups met up with each other, Dexter, Jed and Octavius were also there, surprisingly. "I don't understand," Teddy said, both hands now useless wax. "Why does Lancelot remain strong, while the rest of us get weaker?"

Merenkahre answered, "Because he's newborn, newborns are stronger. But it matters not, unless we succeed. He too will be dead by sunrise."

Alex pocketed her phone and untied the rope from the monkey's waist. Larry sent Merenkahre and Shepseheret back to Egypt, and split the others up among all the exits. He took special care to keep Ahk and Alex together. Ahk grabbed her hand and she didn't pull it away as they sped down their assigned corridor.

After rounding two corners and making sure Larry wasn't following them, Ahk pulled her to a stop. She looked up at him questioningly as he ran a knuckle down her left cheek carefully avoiding the wound there. "Time is short now," he said quietly.

"We're going to fix it." There was no way she was going to lose him now. She'd fix the tablet even if it killed her. She took his face in both of her hands, and looked directly into his eyes. Eye contact with him was something she usually avoided at all costs, which, she hoped, made her next statement all the more believable. "You're going to make it." Her voice cracked as her eyes leaked.

He used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "I don't think I can let you go."

"Then don't." She kissed him then. Throwing all the pent up emotions of the last four years into it. He responded in kind. Her heart was soaring. She'd never really understood what that even meant until now. It was only the need to breathe that pulled them apart. She grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers as she pulled the dazed pharaoh the rest of the way down their assigned path.

Eventually everyone met up outside, not far from the main entrance. Atilla had managed to secure the night guard in her booth, without ripping her limbs off. Alex was proud of him. Even Lah had rejoined them, but Larry sent him guard the door to the security room. Things were not looking good. From the elbow down, Teddy could no longer move his arms. Larry was trying to calm Atilla down, since the Hun was having a panic attack. And Lancelot had escaped.

Alex wondered, "There's like eight million people in this city, how are we going to find him?"

"We'll find him," Larry said, looking at Ahk's and Alex's still joined hands. "We have to."

Sacagawea, somehow, was able to track the knight even across asphalt and concrete. The girl was good. Just when they thought the trail was gone, they heard screams as statues came to life in the wake of the passing tablet. "I'm guessing that way," Alex said. When they got there, she again had to suppress the urge to scream her frustation. Lions. Of course, it would be lions. Because puppies would be too easy. "Now what?"

"Hey, Gigantor. Use your flashlight," Jed suggested. After a moment of hesitation, Larry shined his light on the ground in front of the living statues and moved it around erratically. All four of the big cats tried to catch the light. It took only a moment for them to begin fighting amongst themselves, and he group was able to skirt around them.

Once again they found themselves at the end of the trail. A bus pulled to its stop. Both Larry and Alex saw the bus's advertisement for the Camelot musical. Where else would a knight of the round table go? Alex finally let loose of Ahk's hand to take the lead with Larry. "C'mon," they said simultaneously.

It was a bit anticlimactic, but the bus really was the fastest way to theater. It was surprisingly packed. They were only one seat short and Alex offered to stay standing, but Ahk pulled her sideways onto his lap. His arms were wrapped securely around her waist to keep her in place, and her arms were loosely wrapped around his neck. Her feet ended up on Larry's lap.

Much of the mummy was starting to show on Ahk's face, and Alex had to close her eyes against it. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. They were supposed to be together now. She couldn't lose him, especially not like this.

The click of a camera made her jump. Alex finally noticed the children staring at them. Larry asked for a copy of the picture, only to be rewarded with Alex's foot in his side.

Sometime in the middle of the ride, it had begun to rain. The sound of it against the windows lulled her into a light doze, until they came to stop in front of the theatre.

They'd had to force their way into the audience. Lancelot was on stage badgering the actors. Alex heaved a sigh of relief. Finally their luck was improving. She cursed at him, loudly. As if on cue the audience parted, giving them a trail to the stage.

Lancelot grabbed a burning torch prop and fled backstage. What was the torch for? Didn't he know there'd still be lights? Eventually, they cornered him on the roof. Alex remained by Ahk's side as they stopped on the platform that the roof door had opened up onto. Larry and the others all went down to the main part of the roof where Lancelot was trapped. By now the fire from the torch had melted the tip of his nose and he threw it away from himself, finally realizing that he wasn't really Lancelot.

Teddy tried to reason with him, but it fell on deaf ears. Finally, Alex explained, "If you don't give us the tablet, you'll die too."

"If there is no Camelot, if there is no Guinevere or Lancelot, then there is no point in living. I'm just a lump of misshapen wax." He broke off into a rant about everyone looking at his dripping nose. Wasting precious time. When he was finished he admitted that he had forgotten what they were talking about. It was only Ahk's hand on her shoulder that kept her from literally tearing the knight apart.

Alex felt the chill again, this one was worse than the last. There wasn't much of the tablet left by now. Not enough of it to survive another bout of corrosion.

Atilla fell down, most of his body becoming stiff and lifeless once again. Teddy fell back onto a skylight, his entire body turning back into wax. Sacagawea raced to his side but then she also turned back into a mannequin. Jed and Octavius had collapsed somewhere but Alex couldn't see them from where she was.

Ahk fell to his knees. "We've run out of time," he said, his eyes filming over with death. Alex supported him as he fell and helped him to lie down, propping his head on her lap. She could feel the stiffening and sinking of his skin through his clothes as he began returning to his mummified form. Her tears were falling freely now, mingling with the rain until two were indistinguishable. She ignored the stinging on her cheek as the slightly acidic rain trickled into the cut. Again she caught his hand and held it to her heart.

"Just turn the piece," Larry pleaded with him. "Turn the piece or they'll all die. You'll die too."

"A world without Camelot, isn't a world worth living in."

"What about Guinevere?" Alex asked. "What would she think seeing you like this?"

"Guinevere doesn't exist."

"Please." Alex begged, her voice shaking badly, both from her fear and from the cold as her clothes became soaked through. "She might not exist for you. But he," She gestured to Ahk. "He's my Guinevere. Please don't make me lose him."

Lancelot waivered before regaining his determination. "The deceptions of a cross-dressing hussy are of no concern to me," he spat.

Alex could only scream in response, finally letting out her aggravation, her fear, and her desperation. She looked down at Ahk, who was struggling with his free hand, trying to stroke her cheek. It should have grossed her out to be this close to a rotting corpse. But she didn't see the rot and decay, all she saw was Ahkmenrah. And she was losing him for good this time.

Everything else faded from his perception and it was just the two of them on the roof now. She gently laid his head on the ground and shifted so they were facing eachother. She leaned over him and whispered in his ear. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It took too long for me to tell you. I love you, Ahk." The words he'd longed to hear for the last three thousand years. Then she started sobbing into his chest.

"Augh," he tried to respond, his stiff hands clawing at the back of her uniform's jacket, trying to hold her. The first syllable had destroyed his already decaying voice box. Faintly he could hear Larry calling Dexter's name and Lancelot responding, but he paid no attention.

Vaguely, he realized the rain had stopped, and the moonlight shone on her tears. She picked her head up and gently placed her hands on either side of his face. She tenderly kissed his disintegrating lips. Almost instantly, he was whole again, wrapping his arms around her, and returning the kiss with much fervor. Without breaking the kiss he sat them up. Eventually they separated, smiling at eachother, the rest of the world forgotten. He lovingly wiped the tears from her eyes, then rested his forehead against hers. "I'll love you forever," he said, finally getting the words out. Words he'd been holding back for four years. Never had he been so grateful for the ability to speak.

The moment was interrupted when Larry cleared his throat. "If you two are done," he said and chuckled. Alex was blushing brightly as they helped each other to stand up.

"I do declare," Teddy said. "It's about time." He had no idea. Thunder crashed nearby as though agreeing with him. And the rain picked up again. Ahk laughed as Alex's blush deepened.

"Alex, go long," Larry said.

He gently tossed the restored tablet towards her. She stepped away from Ahk, quickly covering the distance to catch it. Ahk's smile vanished and his eyes went wide. "No," he shouted, reaching out for her, but too late. A bolt of lightning struck the tablet just as she caught it. The flash of white blinded them all and when everyone could see again, Alex was gone, and the tablet was laying unharmed on the ground where she had been. Ahk rushed to it, falling to his knees and picking it up, half hoping she'd appear out from under it.

Larry charged at Ahk, punching him in the face. "You knew," he shouted. Ahk let Larry poke and push him. "Just before it happened you tried to stop her. You knew." The others, including Lancelot, were far too shocked to pick a side. Larry grabbed the pharaoh's collar and got in his face. "Where is she?" Larry ground out.

"She," Ahk paused nearly choking on the words, tears unseen through the pouring rain. "She's in the past. Three thousand years ago, I'm about to meet her for the first time."

"You knew this whole time and you let it happen?"

Ahk shook his head. "It wasn't like that." He choked back a sob. "I tried to stop her. You saw it. I wanted to stop her, but I never knew how she got there. She never knew either." He fell to his knees when Larry let go of him. "Until four years ago, I dindn't even know where she was from. She tried to tell me, but I didn't believe her." He paused to collect himself. "She told me she was from the future and I never believed her. Not until I saw her in the museum." He closed his eyes tight against the pain. "Three thousand years ago, I saw her die. At least I thought she died." He knew he was rambling but he didn't care. He had to sort it out as much as Larry did. "She was holding up the tablet and lightning struck, then she was just...gone. When she went to catch the tablet, that's when I realized. But, I...hesitated. I knew that if she didn't go back into the past, then everything that I remembered would have never happened. I didn't even realize until tonight, how badly I wanted to keep her here." He paused to draw another shaky breath. "But I've known since her first night at the museum that she would be taken from me. I just didn't know how long I had, until..." He trailed off.

"Until what, dear boy?" Teddy asked kindly, realizing how hard this was for the young king.

"When she was injured by the triceratops, I knew it would be tonight." He gave them a sad smile, through his tears. "The scar won't affect her beauty."

Seeing him like this made Larry feel guilty for going off on him. "Does she ever make it back?" Larry asked.

"I-I'm not sure. I think...Maybe. After the tablet got struck, she just vanished, just like she did tonight." Ahk looked at the tablet in his hand. Sometimes it seemed like the thing was just as alive as the beings affected by its magic. He wanted to break it for taking her from him. But it had to stay whole for her to have any chance of returning to him for a second time.

"How long was she ... will she be there for?"

"Almost three years."

Larry went quiet for a moment. Ahk could see the emotions swirling around on his face. Betrayal, anger, loss, worry, sadness. Finally it settled on a rigid combination. "Let's go back to the museum," he said, then put a finger in Ahk's face. "As soon as we get there you're going to tell us the whole story. Don't leave anything out." Ahk could only nod. The young king had to force himself back to his feet, as he dragged his unwilling body after the others.


	4. Chapter 4

Merenkahre examined the tablet for the upteenth time. Of course, he knew it was perfect, but he wanted to make sure. He was going to present it to his son tomorrow, as he revealed to the kingdom his choice for succession of the throne. While he had many, many children only two were of pure enough blood to be elligible.

Kahmunrah, his eldest son was loyal and always eager to please him. But, Merenkahre was certain, the boy had never held an original thought in his head. He was too easily swayed by his mother and their shared greed.

Ahkmenrah, his youngest son, was as free spirited as his mother. The boy was always sneaking off and sending his personal guards on wild goose chases. Though it was supposed to be unknown to him, Merenkahre had realized long ago, that Ahkmenrah would smuggle foods and ingredients to those in the kingdom who were in dire need of it. The boy had compassion, and would stop at nothing to do what he thought was right. Even if it meant going against his own father.

Shepseheret, his great royal wife, put her hand on his arm. "He'll love it." She said, encouragingly, her brown eyes shining with pride. He gave her a smile as he placed his hand over hers.

It wasn't even a contest really. According to tradition the son of the great royal queen would become the next king. But as current king he could name another son if that one was deemed not fit to rule. He realized most of his kingdom viewed Ahkmenrah as a rebel. But Ahkmenrah was chosen as the heir not only according tradition and fate but also according to Merenkahre himself. He realized that Mert, the previous great royal wife, would be displeased, as she had carefully bred Kahmunrah to be the next pharaoh. That woman knew how to make people miserable, but he had to consider his kingdom above all else.

Now if he could only find his chosen son as easily as he had the tablet, then all would be right with the world. He had commissioned the tablet to be made for his youngest son immediately after his birth. But such a powerful trinket could only be presented when the boy was old enough to understand such things.

An object this powerful needed its own full time guardians. He had hand-picked his top general's twin daughters, born exactly ten years to the minute before the tablet's creation, and trained almost since birth in every form of fighting known to Egypt and her surrounding nations.

After finishing his inspection, he held the tablet in his left hand and gestured for one of the tablet's guardians to retrieve it. All action ceased as a bright flash of light turned the whole room white. When they could see again there was a rather small person grasping the other side of the tablet. Due to the unflattering costume that the person was wearing, Merenkahre couldn't tell if it was a young boy, or a curveless girl. One thing was certain, the poor child was under far too many layers for the desert. Their torn and blood stained clothes as well as a still seeping wound spoke of the trials that they had very recently undergone.

His royal guards leapt into action, rushing forward to attack the sudden intruder in defense of their king. Merenkahre watched stoicly, as the stranger realeased the tablet, easily evaded the spears and swords and defeated all of his warriors, all without taking a single life. The twin guardians, whose sole responsibility was the tablet, had instantly retrieved it and waited for the newcomer to make a move for it. His wife was clinging to his arm, frightened.

When the last guard fell, the person finally took stock of the situation, taking in their surroundings. "What just happened?" she asked. The voice was clearly female, there was no denying that now. Her messy brown hair was cut short, as was common in this area but her wide, frightened eyes were bluer than the nile itself.

"I am Merenkahre, pharaoh of the nile, and father to the son of the sun. You will show respect."

Her forehead wrinkled. "Didn't we already go through this? How did you get here? I thought you were still at the museum?" His brows raised nearly to his crown at her imputence. Her eyes strayed to the window. "Where are we? And why is it light out?"

She was very insolent, but her unexpected appearance must be a sign. Since she was clearly not of this world, then she must be from the realm of the gods. Making a silent dicision he tapped his royal staff on the floor. "You are in my royal palace. It is light out because it is midday." The tablet was created for his son, it was only logical that this girl, summoned here by the tablet must also be meant for his son.

She made a sound of confusion. "Y-you're not speaking English." Her hands flew to her mouth, her left thumb unintentionally smearing the blood oozing from the gash on her cheek. "I'm not speaking English." Taking deep calming breaths, she slowly she let her hands down. "Wh-what's going on? Where am I?"

"You are in the royal throne room of my main palace." He was beginning to find her quite entertaining. Not that he would ever let it show.

Her mouth opened and closed several times before she could speak. She gestured to his men, some of whom were regaining consciousness. "Th-then those are-"

"Those would be my royal guards, which you have single handedly defeated." She was strong. Even if she wasn't from the realm of the gods, having her in his family would secure peace between her kingdom of origin and his own. And any children she beget would potentially carry her strength, which would be a great asset to the kings who would rule after him.

For a mere second she froze, staring unbelieving at her own handiwork, then ran like lightning out the open door. One guard having regained his feet reached for her, only succeeding in stripping her of the outer layer covering her top half. "After her," Merenkahre ordered, gesturing with his staff. "I want her alive and unharmed."

Alex had been running for what seemed like hours. Somehow, she wasn't quite sure how, she had found her way out of the palace. These roads were completely unfamiliar. What was she supposed to do now? She had seen enough time travel shows to know that she'd been sent back in time. That or she was having a very realistic nightmare.

Stopping to catch her breath, she yanked her tie off her neck and shoved it deep in her pant's pocket. She hadn't realized how torn the shirt of her night guard uniform had gotten until it had gotten caught on a corner and completely ripped off. But, she found herself thankful that her jacket and outer shirt were gone and that she had chosen to wear the sleaveless white undershirt. Who knew ancient Egypt was so hot?

Her break didn't last long, far too soon she heard the shouts of the soldiers and the clanging of their armor. Finding a small gap between buildings she slid in, as far as she could, until she bumped into something. Stifling a squeak, she turned her head towards the obstacle and saw a boy who looked as equally as shocked as she was. They quickly covered each others mouths to keep the other from screaming or shouting as the guards passed obliviously by. They listened for the clinking armor to fade under the sounds of merchants selling their wares. When the coast was clear they dropped their hands and heaved identical sighs of relief. A quiet, breathless laugh was shared between the two.

They began scooting out of the gap, and Alex nearly gasped when recognition dawned on her. He had ditched his collar and jewelry somewhere, and was wearing only the short skirt and sandals, like she'd seen in pictures of ancient Egypt. There was a scimitar strapped to his waist. He was younger and over a head shorter, but this was difinitely Ahkmenrah. The familiar face eased her anxiety almost instantly, and she no longer felt like she was alone in this new, ancient world. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. This was the first time she'd seen him in actual daylight. His sun kissed skin had always looked out of place inside of the museum.

He wouldn't recognize her, she realized, and it nearly broke her heart. How much could she tell him without changing the future? Would he even believe her? She thought back to their first meeting. 'Do you truly not remember me?' he had asked. He remembered her then. Three thousand years from now he would still remember her. That realization made her heart skip a beat and she had to fight a sudden wave of homesickness. But he had never said anything more on the subject when she had pleaded ignorance. Perhaps because he didn't want to change her future? Or was it his past he didn't want to change? Is this how he felt, when she couldn't recognize him? She wasn't sure how old he was now, but he a had maybe a couple more years before his untimely demise. Would she be able to let it happen as it was supposed to? How would it affect the future if she tried to keep that moment from happening? Is that why he had never told her how he died?

She was getting a headache. "Wibbly wobbly timey wimey," she said, deciding to do what she'd always done when life threw impossible things her way. Go with the flow.

"What?" He asked, clearly confused.

She shook her head. "Sorry. It's nothing." She held out her hand. "My full name is Alexandra Marie Phillips, but I much prefer to be called Alex." Instead of shaking her hand he clasped her forearm. Ignoring the shocks that still went through her body at his touch, she smiled up at him. It was easier to do now. While he was still taller than her, he was closer to her height now. She didn't have to look up quite so high. She knew that wouldn't last long, though.

Never in his life had he experienced the sensations that were flowing through his body at her touch. Brown eyes alive with curiousity and uncertainty, he returned her smile. "I'm," he paused, the smile vanishing, before being replaced by a fake one. Though he had never seen her before, it felt as though he'd known her forever. And he definitely would have remembered if he'd met her before. From her pale skin, eyes the color of the sky, and the strange garments she wore, there was no denying that she was a foreigner. He found himself wanting to trust her with all of his secrets, but he wasn't sure that she could be trusted. "I'm Menes."

She raised an eyebrow, a look of suspicion passing quickly over her face. If she suspected, then she had decided to play along for now. "Nice to meet you... Menes." Taking her arm back she continued, "So, what are they after you for?"

Sneaking out again after his father had forbidden it. "I'd rather not answer that," he said, grinning sheepishly and nervously running a hand through his short dark brown hair. "What about you?"

"Same as you." She smirked. They shared another laugh.

He suddenly noticed the mean looking wound on her face, and the smile vanished. "You're injured." He gestured to her cheek, which had split back open, and was bleeding freely.

"Just a scratch," she answered, shrugging it off. He squelched the sudden need to tend to a strangers well being.

They heard the guards approaching again. "This way," he hissed, grabbing her wrist and taking off at a run. He knew these streets like the back of his hand. Much to his father's displeasure he was constantly sneaking out of the palace. Sometimes it was for some rare alone time. Between the wives his father had forced on him, both of them within the last three months, and the royal guards who his father had recently assigned to him, following him literally everywhere, the palace had started to feel far too stuffy. Sometimes he would sneak out to bring neccessities to friends when they had a need.

He cast a subtle glance to the strange girl beside him. There was something about her that was drawing him to her. She wasn't struggling against his grip in the least, though she clearly had no idea were he was taking her. He could be taking her to slave traders for all she knew. Which begged the question: Why was she trusting him? It made him feel a little guilty for not even trusting her with his name. Perhaps she was simply waiting for him to let go, before she tried to make her escape. To test his theory he released her wrist. To his surprise she continued to run beside him. He led her into the slave district, where they were able to slow down and catch their breath. This was where many of his closest friends lived.

An old woman, carrying a pair of full water buckets on her shoulders, called out to him. "In trouble again, Menes?" she asked. He rushed to help her.

"Only a little this time, Savta." He took the burden from her as they began walking towards her house. She was easily the oldest person in the kingdom, and insisted everyone call her grandmother. He doubted if anyone knew her true name anymore.

Her still very sharp eyes noticed his companion. "And who is this?"

"This is Alex. She's a friend." Alex silenty watched the two converse as though she wasn't even really there. Most people probably would have been aggravated, but she was curiously entertained.

"A friend indeed," the old woman teased, instantly spotting the connection between the two.

"I only just met her."

She chuckled. "But you look good together." They both blushed.

"Savta," he frowned. "I'm...married." He spit the word out.

"Was it your choice?" She looked closely at his down turned face.

"No. They were both...forced on me."

"They?" The old lady sighed and clucked her tongue. "Menes, you are always getting into trouble."

Realizing that he'd made it sound like he'd impregnated the girls and was forced to take responsibilty, he paled. "It's nothing like that, I swear on my honor." He wanted to explain that the marriages had strictly been political, but that would give away his true status, which could potentially ruin the relationships he had forged here. He set the buckets outside her door. Suddenly the clanging of armor could be heard once again, this time coming from the opposite direction they had run from.

The old woman's face became serious. "Just how much trouble have you gotten into this time? Those do not look like your father's soldiers." There had been rumors that an enemy was planning on invading. Everyone, except the boy himself, realized his father's love for him. If he was captured, it spelled the end of this kingdom.

"It is only my brother's army. He must have been successful in conquering the invading forces." He froze at his own slip up. "How did you know?"

The lady chuckled again and patted his cheek. "You are a brilliant and kind hearted prince, who takes care of even the lowest of your people. I am old, dear boy, it would take someone much more cunning than you to fool these tired eyes. And you look just like your mother. There is a reason she is called the glittering jewel of the nine kingdoms. I'll tell you the story next time." She pulled away. "Now, young Ahkmen, take your girl and go, before you are found out. God knows your brother would try to use this against you." She turned and paused at her door. "A boy of your stature is allowed multiple wives, no? You should marry this one too." She went in.

"Savta!" He wan't sure he wanted another wife. The current two were already vying for his attention. After a moment of staring after the old woman, Ahkmenrah grabbed Alex by the hand and off they went again, before they could be spotted by the returning soldiers.

Almost as soon as they reentered the main district the guards spotted them again. Their slight builds allowed them to squeeze through alleyways and hide in places that the buff, armor clad guards had no hope of entering. They stifled giggles and playfully shushed each other every time they had to hide.

Even if, in this time period, he was almost ten years younger than she was, Alex had to admit this was the best first date ever. It made her miss her Ahkmenrah, the one she'd been forced leave in the future. Only mere moments before her arrival here, she'd been able to finally put aside her all her doubts and fears to tell him how she truly felt. They hadn't even been given a chance to talk with eachother about the status change of their relationship. She'd been yanked into the ancient past before that.

This Ahkmenrah was happier, more care free, and carried a barely controlled hyperness. Her Ahkmenrah had been simply self controlled, an obvious leader who often appeared to carry the weight of the world, or at least the weight of the museum, on his shoulders. It was strange and intriguing to see him like this, and to realize that the ancient king she had grown to love so deeply had once been a regular kid.

In this era, he might be alive, but he was also married. That put a stopper on any romantic relationship she could potentially have with him here. Not to mention that he was even younger now and she'd had enough issues working through the age gap in the future.

She held back a heavy sigh. Some people just weren't meant to be together. She and Ahk seemed to be two of those people. But she could and would, at the very least, continue to be his friend and body guard.

Shortly before dusk they began leisurely strolling down random streets. The soldiers had long since been called back to the palace. "What family are you staying with?" Ahkmenrah asked. "I will escort you there."

She stopped in her tracks, nervously rubbing her neck. "I, uh, I don't really have anyplace, or anyone. It's kind of a long story. But don't worry. I'll figure something out."

He seemed confused. "So you've been travelling alone?"

She nodded and shrugged, "You could say that."

"How could your husband allow such a thing?"

Alex realized that it was all but unheard of for a woman her age to not yet be married. She shrugged it off, choosing honesty. "There's never been a husband." His eyes seemed to gain a spark at that knowledge.

"Your father then?"

"He's...been gone for awhile." And yet he hadn't even been born yet. She had, breifly, considered trying to send a message to him, but thought against it. Any message she could send, wouldn't survive the three thousand year journey. Plus if her parents had been alive, she would never have gotten or even needed the job at the museum. And she would never have known Ahk as anything other than the exhibit of a long dead king at the museum.

"It's a wonder you haven't been killed. Come with me, back to the palace. I'm sure my father will let you stay if you explain your circumstances."

"Yeah. I really don't think that's such a good idea." His dad probably wanted her dead after she took out his guards like that. Considering how many guards had come after her, she was fairly certain that going back to the palace would not be good for her health.

He took her hand. "I insist."

"No." She tried to yank her hand back, but he held fast. She put on her oh-no-you-didn't face. Usually it would freeze him in his tracks, but this Ahk didn't seem to understand her at all.

"I cannot in good conscience, leave you to fend for yourself." His heart was in the right place, but he needed to know that she knew how to handle herself.

Rather than answer, she ducked and spin kicked his legs out from under him. As she pinned him to the ground, an arrow landed where his head had been only a second before. What she had been going to say flew out the window, and all that came out was, "Well, that was unexpected."

He stared at her in shock, as she pulled him back to his feet. "Definitely getting a work out today," she said, dragging him along as she ran. Their attackers managed to cut off every exit, herding them down a dead end. They wore no armor. Only their eyes were visible through the black cloaks that covered them from head to toe. All seven carried swords, but only two had bows and arrows.

"Assassins," he said, unsheathing his scimitar to catch an enemy blade. "Stay behind me."

She huffed, patience finally snapping. "Boy, puhlease." She danced around him instantly taking out the nearest enemy with a single blow. Alex took out five while Ahk fought his first. With his opponent finally dispatched, he moved to next only to realize there was none. He looked at the pile of bodies, then at Alex who was leaning against a wall waiting for him.

"Oh." He sheathed his sword. "I understand now." They stood looking at each other, before busting out laughing. Her wound had opened back up again. She could feel the blood running down her face, but continued to ignore it.

Just as they began to lower their guard, Alex saw movement in the corner of her eye. She dashed in front of Ahkmenrah, shielding him with her body. The arrow meant for his heart caught in her shoulder. Moving quick as lightning, he relieved a fallen assassin of his bow and an arrow and felled the sniper. He rushed back to her side, appearing far more concerned than he should have been for someone he had just met. The old lady was right, he really was always getting into trouble. Gingerly holding her shoulder, she gave a weak chuckle. "That was a close one."

A wave of exhaustion passed through her. She'd lost a lot of blood over the last two days. She could hear him talking to her, asking her something but she couldn't make out what he was saying, or even summon a response. It suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't slept in almost forty eight hours. No time like the present.

Ahkmenrah returned to the palace nearly in a panic over the unconscious girl in his arms. His father had met him at the entrance, intent on a scolding and a punishment. At least until he recognized the girl. It would seem that fate had spoken once again. "Father, please let her stay. She saved my life by taking an arrow meant for me. She has nowhere to go. It would be dishonorable to leave her on the streets."

Merenkahre raised a brow at his son. Never had the boy been so verbally insistant about taking care of another person. Always his son would do it himself in secret. Never had the king seen destiny so determined to put two people together. "Prepare a room for her and summon the healer," he commanded the servants. He returned his attention to his youngest son, as the girl was transferred to a guard, much to Ahkmenrah's ill hidden displeasure, and carried off. "Now your punishment for sneaking out." Normally it would only be a scolding, but the boy had known that assassins were after him and that the person behind them had yet to be found. He could have been killed. The only fitting punishment he could give him was the one that all of his other children would have seen as a gift. "You will not be tending to your lessons for a week."

The prince's face fell. "A week? But why? Please not the lessons, surely my actions weren't that detrimental."

"Tell that to the girl with the arrow in her shoulder." Ahkmenrah's face flushed with guilt and embarassment. "The lessons," the king repeated. "For a week. Or she goes to the streets." Of course, he was bluffing, but his son wouldn't know that.

"Yes, sir," he replied and left, anxious to check on the girl. Another first. The boy never passed up a chance to debate his punishments.

Kahmunrah sat at a table, in the wives' quarters, across from his mother, Mert. The servants had been instructed not to enter the room until after he had gone. He had returned with his troops, from a successful campaigne to eliminate yet another threat to the kingdom. His father should have been proud, but had seemed unimpressed. "You are the golden child," his mother said. "The king could never choose a headstrong, rebellious son over the loyal, obedient son." She popped a grape into her mouth, while he took a delicate sip of his wine.

"And yet he ith thtill fatherth obviouth favorite. The throne ith mine. I won't let him thteal it from me."

"I am the pharaohs full sister and and his wife, no royal blood could be more pure than yours. He would be a fool to choose Ahkmenrah, tradition or no. But you are right, we shouldn't take risks. Rah knows how much sway that woman holds over your father. Did you do as I bade you, my prince?"

"I hired the motht feared group of athathins in all of the nine kingdomth. And yet they failed me. They were beaten by a little girl. I thuppose, if you want thomething done right, you have to do it yourthelf."

"Patience, my son. If the pharaoh finds out that his favorite son died by your hand, he will disinherit you completely. It is better to give the assassins a second chance, let them take the blame. You can convince your father that it was an attack from one of the neighboring kingdoms."

"What if they fail again? Father hath brought that foreign wretch into the palace. And my dear brother theemth to have been bethoted by her."

"If you refuse to pay the assassins they will, undoubtedly reveal you to your father. And if you must pay them, you may as well do so after they've done their job. If the girl continues to be a hinderence, we shall simply have to do away with her too."

"Yeth, mother. You're right, ath alwayth. I will never underthtand how father could choothe Sheptheheret over you."

Her head jerked up so harshly that her headpiece went askew. "I told you never to speak of her," she shrieked, then calmly fixed her wig. "That woman is of no importance. To ensure that you get your rightful place on the throne, it is that woman's vile offspring that must be dealt with. When he is out of the way, your father will have no choice but to name you heir."

Ahkmenrah and his mother sat at on the edges of the bed at either side of Alex. The healer had undressed her completely and cleaned, treated and bound her shoulder where the arrow had struck her. A healing poultice had been applied to the gash on her cheek, and Ahkmenrah found himself dragging a knuckle across the skin below it. His mother called him on it. "I've never seen you so tender with a woman. Not even your wives and sisters." He pulled his hand back as though he'd been burned. She laughed at his reaction.

He placed a hand over his heart. "Mother, what is this? I've only just met her, and yet I can't bear the thought of leaving her side."

She smiled knowingly at him. "Let me tell you a story-"

He interupted. "Is it the one about you and father in the garden?"

"Yes and no. You see, there was more to it than just a garden stroll. When I was younger I would dress up as a slave boy and sneak out of my father's palace. I would do this even when we traveled to the neighboring kingdoms. It gave me a chance to explore and make new friends. One day my father brought me here, to forge a peace treaty with the pharaoh, your father. We had been formally introduced that morning, and I knew that my father would use me as the seal, offering me to the pharaoh as his token of peace. That night I snuck out as I normally did, wondering if this would be the last time. Only this time I was so distracted that I forgot to watch where I was going. I ran right into Merenkahre, knocking us both down. I was so frightened at the time wondering if he would order me killed. He'd only seen me for the briefest of moments, earlier that day, yet he saw right through my disguise, as though he'd known me for my entire life."

"What did he do?" Ahk had never heard this story before. Savta had told him that he took after his mother, was this what she had meant?

"He made me swear that I would return by midnight. And when I did he ordered a servant to guide his new slave through the servant's corridors so he could go home to his parents in the slave district." Ahkmenrah was in rapt attention. "In that moment he not only gave me freedom, but he also stole my heart, ensuring that I would always return to his side. It took until the next day in the gardens before I could steal his in return. The point is that it doesn't matter if you've known a person for your entire life, or for a single day, it only takes a single instant to realize you're in love with them."

Sensing that it was the end of story, Ahkmenrah turned his attention back to Alex. "So," he started, slightly uncertain. "I'm in love?"

She put her hand on his cheek to make him look her in the eye. "That is something only you can answer, my son."

He satared back down at Alex. Just being next to her made him feel complete. He hadn't even known he was incomplete until he met her. It was easy picture her as his wife. She would be his main wife, and if his brother became pharaoh instead of him, she would be his only. He would be able to free the other two then. He could see her swollen with their first child. Their son would have her blue eyes and his sense of adventure. He saw them grow old together, surrounded by their children and their grandchildren. Then he thought of losing her to sickness before old age could come, and it felt like his heart would break. He once again placed his hand on his chest. "I'm...in love."

It was nearly midnight by the time Merenkahre and Shepseheret finally made it to bed. She told her husband how their son had taken to the newcomer. The boy had refused to leave her side. The pharaoh was pleased, and shared with her his desire to bring the girl into their family. "She has the countenance and bearing of a royal," Shepseheret told him, resting her head on his chest. He rested his arm around her shoulders. "If she is a princess of her country, imagine how strong their warriors are."

"Which is precisely why our son must marry her," he replied. Even if we hear nothing from her place of origin, imagine the strength and power our grandchildren will possess with her as their mother. We must not let her become an enemy. If everyone in her country is as she is, we would be utterly destroyed."

"That reminds me, love. Mert wishes to meet with you in the morning."

"What is it she wants this time?"

"She refused to speak with me about it."

He sighed in defeat. "Tomorrow I will summon her."

"She did not seem very pleased with the arrival of Alex."

"Alex?"

She nodded against his chest. "According to Ahkmen, that is the girl's name."

"Such a strange name."

"I think it suits her."

He chuckled and held her tighter against himself.

Merenkahre waited in the throne room, while his lesser wife was summoned. His great royal wife sat in her throne beside his own.

The mother of the pharaoh's eldest son strolled in proud and aloof. Upon seeing the the queen, she forgot herself. "I will not tolerate that woman here."

The pharaoh stood in his anger, banging his staff sharply against the floor. "She is my great royal wife, you will show respect." Shepseheret stood beside him, placing a loving hand on his arm. Almost instantly he was calmed, and they returned to their seats. "Why did you wish meet with me?"

"I came to advise against letting the imposter remain in the palace."

His grip tightened around his staff as he continued with his duty of listening to his subjects. "What is your reasoning?"

"She is a foreigner. We know nothing of her origins, nor where her loyalties lie. She is a danger not only to you, my pharaoh, but to our entire kingdom. You should throw her out like the trash she is."

Shepseheret reached over and placed her hand over his. He cast her a glance and returned her grip. "Your fears are unfounded. She risked her very life to save that of my son. Her loyalties are clear. As for her origins." He paused. If he told her that he believed the girl to be from the land of the gods, Mert would give the girl no rest until Alex was tied to her son. "Her origin is of no concern to you."

"My lord, for all we know this could all be a trap. Perhaps she is the one behind the assassination attempts."

"Why would they harm one of their own?"

"I believe it was a trick. A ruse to earn your trust." A smug look creeped up her face. He could tell that she didn't believe he would be able to disagree with her logic. Maybe, if he had believed her, he would have put the girl to death himself. He was certain that was one of Mert's goals.

The assassination attempts had been ongoing for many months. He had witnessed first hand Alex's arrival the previous day. That Mert had so easily blamed the girl made him suddenly suspicious. He was certain that his suspicians were unfounded, but to be safe he would have to place a spy in the wives' quarters. One of his most trusted servants would be transferred by the end of the day. He banged his staff against the floor again, signifying that he had come to a decision. "The girl, Alex, will remain in the palace as an honored guest. I will hear no more on this subject." The smug look was instantly replaced by one of disbelief.

"My lord pharaoh," she began to protest.

The staff was banged against the floor again. "I will hear no more," he repeated. "Begone from my sight." The guards rushed to ensure that his command was fulfilled.

Alex felt something warm and damp glide across her face. She swept it away with her hand, groaned and rolled away from it. Her face buried itself contentedly into her pillow. There was a giggle. "Are you finally awake?"

Before her brain could register what was happening, Alex's body shot up and slammed itself to other side of the bed. The bed vanished out from under her, and she fell hard on her shoulder. A cry of pain escaped from her. Where had the wall gone? Her bed was supposed to be against the wall. Finally prying her eyes open, she stared at the ceiling. This was way too big and fancy to be her room. Her head slid to the side. Were those jewels embedded into the ceiling? And what was she wearing? Previous events began filtering in.

"I didn't mean to scare you," said the kind voice. A woman was walking around the bed. She was beautiful, and familiar. She helped Alex up.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the palace, dear. Oh, you're bleeding again." The woman turned her face to what Alex assumed was the door. "Guard, summon the healer and my son."

"In the palace? Why am I not in the dungeon or something?"

The woman smiled and guided her to the other side of the bed. "Would you prefer to be in the dungeons?"

"No. Of course not." Alex held her shoulder as she gingerly sat on the bed beside the woman. "How long was I out?"

"Three days."

"My friends will be worried by now. I need to find a way home."

The woman remained silent for a moment. "I was a witness to your arrival. You defeated eight of my husbands royal guards all by yourself, without killing any of them, then you escaped from the palace and evaded the search parties all day. You are very skilled."

"Umm, thanks?" Alex wasn't sure how to respond to this.

"You also risked your life to save my son. We are grateful." Son? This was Ahk's mom? She was so young that Alex hadn't recognized her. She must have outlived Ahk by several years. Alex felt sorry for what this kind woman would soon have suffer through, but knew that telling her would change all of history. "The gods have brought you to us for a reason. We do not know why or how. But, if you tell me where you're from, perhaps the pharaoh can make some travelling arrangements"

"I don't know about any gods, and home is... too far away." Alex said. "I don't even know how I got here, let alone how to get back. But I do know that home is too far to just travel to."

Shepseheret put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Well, you will always have a home here."

Before she could continue Ahkmenrah, now in his royal garb, burst through the door, followed closely by a much calmer healer. "You're awake," he exclaimed, rushing to her and grasping her hands. "I was worried." His eyes roamed down her form, and she found herself becoming a little self conscious.

The dress they had put her in was thin, and clung to her almost like a second skin. It didn't help when the healer made her take the dress completely off to tend to her shoulder. Ahk was sitting beside his mother, both watching intently. He really did look like his mom. Alex was blushing terribly. She covered her breasts with her good arm. If she had known a little less about the culture she would have put up a fight. When she'd started working at the museum she'd done all the research she could on the exhibits. Especially the Egyptian ones. Nakedness wasn't a big deal to them. In fact, seeing women walking down the street without a top, or in a very sheer dress was fairly normal. As she'd seen first hand a few days prior. Still, she found herself wanting to curl up under a rock and die. Ahk was just a kid, he shouldn't have been looking. But he was, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. Sensing her distress, his mother diverted his attention.

Her humiliation deepened when she realized he had seen her naked, before she had ever met him. She found herself missing her Ahk again. The one who would have understood her feelings and either politely averted his gaze, or left the room completely. The healer finished tending to her shoulder and helped her back into the dress before applying a poultice to the wound on her cheek. Alex thanked her, as the healer bowed low to the queen and the prince and left.

With a smile, Ahk jumped to his feet and grabbed her hand. "Come, there's something I wish to show you."

"Ahkmen," his mother scolded. "Your father wishes to speak with her, and you have lessons to attend to."

His face fell. "Father forbade me from my lessons. They will continue in four days. It's my punishment for sneaking out." Alex stifled a giggle. Ahk _would_ enjoy his lessons. At least that much hadn't changed.

"I see. And what was it that you wanted so desperately to show her, my son?"

Ahk blushed lightly. "I... wish to show her the gardens."

Shepseheret ushered her son towards the door. "Why don't you use all of that energy on your wives. I would like to see my grandchildren, before my time comes."

"Maybe later," Alex called as he was pushed out the door. It brought a smile back to his face. She swore she wasn't trying to lead him on. After all he was already married. But he was the closest thing to her Ahkmenrah that she had right now and she couldn't stand to see him disappointed.

He had told her shortly after they met in the museum that he'd had three wives before he was sixteen. When he had talked with the woman in the slave district he had made it sound like he only had two. She just hope she could get home before the third one showed up. Sure he was just a kid, but he was still Ahk. The knowledge that he was already married made her uncomfortable enough. Actually watching him get married might do her in.

After calling for a maid, Shepseheret turned to her with a smile. "The day of your arrival must have been very interesting indeed, for the two of you to have bonded so strongly in such a short amount of time. You mean much to him if he wishes to take you to the gardens."

"Why? What's so special about the gardens?"

"It's a special place for his father and I. Many of our firsts happened in that garden. Ahkmen has never shown any desire to take anyone to the gardens, until now."

Alex paled. "Maybe I shouldn't go with him then."

"Why not? Do you harbor no feelings toward my son?"

"No, it's not that. I do like him. Just not ... I just don't want to lead him on." She paused as the maid servant guided her to a vanity she hadn't even noticed was there. "I mean, I don't even know how long I'm going to be here." She snatched the sandals that the maid was trying to put on her feet. "I can do that myself, but thank you." She slipped them on and froze. "Okay, maybe I can't do it myself. How do you tie these?" The maid kneeled to tie them. Alex tried to ignore the awkwardness of being waited on in such a manner. "He's already married. Besides," she said turning back to Shepseheret. "I'm way too old for him." The maid grabbed a comb from the vanity and began to run it through Alex's hair. "That I really would like to do myself," she said taking the comb. "But thank you, so much." She began dragging the comb through her badly matted hair.

"Age is only a number, it has no bearing on the person. It means nothing. My husband is older than my father, but that doesn't stop me from loving him," Shepserehet reasoned.

Alex saw the logic and felt it was time to change the subject. "By the way, what happened to the clothes I was wearing?"

"I had them burned. They were badly damaged and terribly filthy. Besides, they were far too unflattering."

She stopped combing her hair and gave herself a moment of silence. Both to calm her temper and to mourn the passing of her cell phone, which had been in her jacket pocket.

Alex stood before the king, slightly nervous. He didn't strike her as a very friendly man. "Here are the things my servants took from your clothing." He gestured to a tray that one of the sevants was holding. She dashed forward to collect them. It really wasn't much. Just her cell phone, flashlight and keys. All three of which she hoped would stay with her when she went home. Archeologists would have a field day trying to figure out how a twenty first century cell phone showed up in ancient Egypt. But how was she supposed to carry them?

Merenkahre snapped his fingers and another servant showed up bearing a satchel for her to use. Was he psychic? "Tonight I will be holding a ceremony, at which I will reveal my decision about which of my sons will be my successor. You were chosen by the tablet and sent by the gods to ensure I made the correct decision. Which of my sons shall inherit my throne?"

She blinked then pointed to herself. "You're asking me?"

"Indeed."

"Ah..." She paused. What if Merenkahre was as contradictory here as he had been at the British Museum? If she said Ahkmenrah then he might choose Kahmunrah. But there was also the chance that he would follow her advice. "Which do you think should reign?" She finally asked.

He remained silent for a time. He had not been expecting that. He had been expecting her to name Ahkmenrah as heir. She'd stopped herself, he noticed. Perhaps she worried about how he would accept her suggestion. Smart girl. She would be Ahkmenrah's wife, provided she wasn't already somebody else's. "Perhaps the gods should have sent your husband instead. Then I might get a straight answer."

She felt her eye twitch. "I have no husband. Where I'm from women are independent. While some of us do prefer to have husbands, almost all of us are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. Unless you need another demonstration?" She asked gesturing to a nearby guard.

Merenkahre laughed, shocking Alex into dropping the flashlight she'd been putting in the satchel. Even the guards cocked a brow. There was no doubt in his mind now that she would join his family, but for such a self-sufficient woman this would require some trickery.

"You will attend tonight's ceremony," he commanded. "While there, a servant will supply you with a cake. You are to present that cake to one of my sons. That son will be given the tablet and the throne. You are dismissed." He banged his staff on the ground and a servant guided her out.

He gestured to another servant to step forward. "Tell the royal cook to prepare a marriage cake for tonight's ceremony."

The ceremony was grand. There was music and dancers and she was pretty sure she was drinking something alcoholic. At least it took the edge off having to wear a dress and overly heavy jewelry. She had met Ahk's two wives. One was his half sister, chosen for him to keep the bloodline pure. The other was a princess from a neighboring kingdom, presented to secure a peace treaty. Both were only about twelve by Alex's guess. To her surprise, neither seemed disappointed to be married to the prince. Both had expressed hope in becoming the great royal wife, should Ahk become pharaoh. They also expressed hope that their respective wedding nights and the nights that had followed had produced an heir. Alex had held back a curse at this. They were still children themselves. Trying already to have children of their own. Despite its overall grandeur, there were some aspects of this culture she just couldn't stand. She guzzled the rest of her unknown drink and a servant refilled it for her.

Another servant blew a horn to garner everyone's attention. The king spoke, "It is time for the choosing." A servent came out of nowhere, passing Alex a cake. Remembering the king's order she shrugged, accepting it. The room was silent as she walked, only stumbling a little, toward Ahkmenrah.

She held out the cake. "Here. I'm supposed to give this to you." With a smile wider than any she had ever seen from him, he accepted and held it up for all to see. The entire room burst into cheers. She hiccuped in bewilderment, it was just a cake. Finding her goblet, she took another swig.

The king called for silence again. A servant presented him with the tablet. He held it up. "This tablet represents my will," he bluffed. It never hurt to add a little drama to this type of ceremony. "He who possesses it will inherit my throne." Kahmunrah stood proudly, ready to accept it, only to be passed by. "Ahkmenrah, my son, you have the courage and wisdom necessary to be a great king. When it is time, I know you will rule well." Eyes wide in disbelief, Ahk stood and accepted. Kahmunrah, ignored by all, stormed out. "Behold the tablet of Ahkmenrah." Ahk held up the tablet. Merenkahre gestured for Alex to stand up. "Behold the future king and his queen." Cheers resounded. Alex swayed a little, looking into her drink, maybe she should stop drinking whatever it was, it was making her confused.

His father reached over and flipped the center tile. All the statues came to life. Many of the guests screamed and ran only to be blocked by the guards. Alex snorted into her drink. Rookies.

Eventually the party died down. The tile was flipped again returning the statues to their normal state before sunrise. Alex was drunk. Shepseheret helped her to her room. "You sure this is my room? Looks different," she slurred.

"This is Ahkmenrah's room. You will be spending the night here with your new husband."

"Ahkmenrah," she sang. "I miss Ahkmenrah. Is he here?"

Shepseheret smiled. "He'll be in shortly, after he's spoken with his father."

Alex waved her hand. "Not that Ahk. I want my Ahk."

The smile vanished. "I'm afraid I don't understand. There is only one Ahkmenrah."

"I'm from the future." She threw an arm around the queen's shoulders, and held a finger over her own lips. "Shhhh, don't tell anybody."

Shepsehret sat on the bed beside her. "How far have you come?"

She held up two fingers and brought them close to her face. Then with her other hand forced another finger up and showed them to the queen. "Three thousand years."

"And Ahkmenrah is alive in that era?"

Alex shook her head a little too hard and fell into the queen. "No. The tablet brings him to life, but only at night. During the day he's a mummy." She giggled. "I'm in love with a mummy."

"And does he love you as well?"

"Yes, he does. He said so."

"How did you come to be here?"

"Dunno. The tablet maybe. I was touching it and something happened. I dunno." Ahkmenrah stepped through the door, and before he could get out a single word, Alex glomped onto him. "Ahk. I missed you."

He looked to his mother who made the drinking motion with her hand. "Good luck," she whispered, patting his shoulder as she walked out.

"Alex, I-" he was cut off as she kissed him on the mouth. His arms automatically held her closer.

He was too stunned to move as she pulled away. "Are you shorter?" She asked, then shrugged. "I missed you, Ahk," she pouted and leaned her head against his shoulder. Using her finger she drew random designs on his naked chest. "Don't ever go away again," she pouted as her hand started trailing downwards.

"I-I promise?" His voice cracked.

"Good" she said and threw him onto the bed.

Kahmunrah stormed into the wives' quarters. Except for his mother everyone had gone to the banquet. He called out for her. "That wretch thtole my throne." He shouted. "Am I not loyal enough? Have I not brought enough honor to my fatherth name? I have been trained thinth birth to be the nextht pharaoh. Why am I not good enough?" He raged on for several minutes before losing steam and collapsing into his mother's waiting arms.

She patted his head. "Be still, my son. It is not over. That boy is not pharaoh yet. There is still time to take back your place on the throne."

"There ith more. Father had the royal cook provide the intruder with a marriage cake. Rather than get rid of her, he hath made her my brotherth wife."

"That is good. He is young and disloyal. He will tire of her within a few scant days and she can't interfere with our plans when she is confined to her quarters with the rest of the forgotten wives. The assassins will soon be free to carry out your orders and your rightful place will be secured. One day out of every month, the pharaoh takes a walk with his...favorite wife and his youngest son in the gardens. The pharaoh will dismiss his guards, and neither he nor that thief of a son will carry any weapons. Their guard will be down and that is when your assassins will strike." They continued to plot until the party ended and the other wives began returning to their quarters.

Alex woke to a pounding headache. Hangovers were the worst. She sat up groaning, noticing a chill when the sheet slipped off. Just great. This was even worse than waking up in a dress. "My head," she grumbled.

"Is it bad?" Came the question from beside her. She and the sheet fell off the bed, jarring her head and shoulder, making the pain double. She was lucky she hadn't puked yet. Ahkmenrah peaked over the side of the bed.

She looked at him wide eyed. "Oh crap." He eyes scrunched shut again. "What did I do this time?"

Confused, he cocked his head. "You have fallen out of our marriage bed."

"I know that much. Oh, this why I never drink," she said testily, the pain getting to her. She remained lying on the floor where she had fallen. "Wait. What? Marriage bed?"

"Yes. Our marriage bed."

"Since when are we married?"

"Last night. You presented me with the marriage cake and I accepted."

"Th-that was...B-but I had no idea. It doesn't count." What the freak was going on here?

He frowned. "I do not understand. A woman presents a marriage cake to her chosen man, if he accepts then it is a binding marriage contract. Is that not how it works in your country?"

"No. That's not how any of this works. Can't we just get it annulled or something?"

"You presented me with the marriage cake," he repeated. "Do you not wish to be my wife?" He looked so dejected that her heart broke for him.

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, it's...complicated." She let out a defeated sigh and covered her eyes with her hand. "Your dad tricked me. He told me to present the cake to the one I thought should be the next pharaoh. I didn't know it was a marriage thing. Can't we just annul it or get divorced or something?"

"If I were not the heir to the throne, separating wouldn't not be an issue. But since we shared our marriage bed and I am to be pharaoh, it's completely and permanently binding."

"Y-You mean we..." she trailed off, bits of her memory returning. Suddenly reliving the previous night, he gave her a wide, goofy grin. She pointed a finger at him. "You. You took advantage of a very drunk woman."

He covered the finger with his hand. "You didn't leave me a choice. It was you who took advantage of me." She blinked. Rolling over onto his back, he let his head hang over the side of the bed. He let out a contented sigh followed by a chuckle. "I can barely move. You are very limber and very strong."

In her drunken haze, she had only seen her Ahkmenrah. The older Ahkmenrah, the one that held her heart. Three wives before sixteen, he had said, and here she was. Lucky number three. "When's your birthday?"

"Twelve days from now. I will be sixteen. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," she lied, her eyes fixating on a jewel in the ceiling. If she ever got back to her own time she was going to kill him. How could he never mention something this important? Unless he wanted it to happen. If he _had_ told her then she wouldn't have been tricked by the king. She wouldn't be married to Ahkmenrah. No wonder he'd had such a hard time when she'd started dating other guys. She was married...to Ahkmenrah. Skipping a beat, her heart let her how much it approved of the idea. If he'd told her details about his past, he would have been giving her the details of her future. She wouldn't be married to a future pharaoh, and she wouldn't be guilty of statutory rape. "Holy crap." She put her hands on her face and slowly drew them down. "I raped a fifteen year old prince."

"That cannot be considered rape, since I thoroughly enjoyed it," he admitted.

"Not helping."

"If you like we can try again. This time I'll take the lead."

"No!"

"I _am_ your husband..."

"No." Forcing herself into a sitting position, she pulled the sheet around herself and leaned her back against the bed, resting her head next to his. She closed her eyes against the painful light. "I'm sorry, Ahkmenrah. Please understand. Where I come from age is an issue. If someone doesn't have their parents permission, they have to be eighteen in order to legally marry."

"My parents gave their permission and their blessing."

"Then the minimum legal age for marriage is sixteen. And anyone over eighteen cannot, from a legal standpoint, have...they can't... share a marriage bed with anyone under eighteen. I'm twenty four and you're fifteen. So, where I'm from, this is...so many levels of wrong."

She could almost hear him frown at the ceiling. He was so much like her Ahk, and yet so different. He was happier, and a bit more hyper, usually. "The deed is done. There is no going back." He was silent for a moment, contemplating everything she had told him over the past few minutes. "You truly believe I should be the next pharaoh?"

"Yes. Honestly, I think you'll be an even better king than your father." Just with a much shorter riegn, she added to herself. There was a knock on the door. Her eyes slid open to watch Ahk situate himself to sit beside her on the floor, before calling for them to enter. At the sight of his naked body, she closed her eyes. It was partly to quell the responces her body was having towards his and partly to hide from him another massive wave of guilt and pain. Two servants came in and started peeling the bottom sheet off the bed. "What are they doing?" She asked not daring to open her eyes.

"Checking for virgin blood. If there is none than when I am pharaoh, you can't be my great royal wife, only one of the lesser wives." Even though she had dated a few guys, she had never felt comfortable going that far. It didn't matter anyway. Since the moment she'd first met him at the museum several years ago, Ahk had been the only one that could turn her on. Not that she'd ever tell him that. This really wasn't how she'd pictured it. Last night had been both her first time period and her first time with Ahk. But between martial arts lessons and playing with Rexy, her body had been thrown about so much she was pretty sure she there wouldn't be any blood. Her eyes shot open at their cries of approval as they waved the sheet out the window. Ahk leaned over to kiss her on the healing cheek and whisper in her ear. "I'll never tell them it's from your shoulder." She wasn't sure if she wanted to hug him or slap him. Though she didn't want to be queen, being a lesser wife sounded even worse.

"Why am I the future queen? Why not one of your other...wives?" She hadn't expected to have such a hard time spitting out that last word.

"You are the one that I would choose." He shot her a sly smile. "And apparently my father approves." She felt him grab her hand and study her callouses before placing a kiss on it. "If I could do so without shaming my family, you would be my only. I cannot sepparate from my other wives, but I can promise you that from this moment on you will be the only one that I will ever touch in such a manner, and you will be the only one to hold my heart." She didn't know how to respond to that.


	5. Chapter 5

One week had passed since the wedding and she had learned more about the ancient Egyptian culture than the modern day scholars who spent their entire lives studying it. She had been forbidden from sleeping in any bed but Ahk's. He had kept his word, so far, and his other wives had been all but forgotten. It had made her feel guilty, but only a little. Later she learned that his father had done the same thing after marrying Shepseheret. She still found it awkward to sleep in the same bed. It wasn't because she couldn't see him as her husband. Since it was Ahkmenrah, that wasn't the issue at all. It was because he was still so very young.

As teenage boys are sometimes wont to do, he pestered her every night and sometimes during the day, for another...romp. She always denied him, wondering how long she could without being thrown out on her ear. Part of her would always argue, that they were married, so there was nothing wrong with giving in to him. But the teachings of her culture would win out. He was too young for such things, and if she gave in just once, his desires along with her own, would ensure that she'd never be able to deny him again.

Shepseheret had taken it upon herself to teach Alex everything she needed to know about being the great royal wife. There really wasn't much to it. Much to Alex's displeasure the most important thing was providing her husband with everything he asked of her. She despised the way that the pharaohs' women were treated. Having lived her entire life in almost complete freedom, it was a harsh change. Often she would find herself wishing that Ahk wasn't royal at all. The common women of this era had almost all the freedoms of the women of Alex's era. But the royal women had almost no freedom whatsoever. They weren't mistreated by any means, but unless summoned by their husband, they could only go to the royal gardens, the royal library, or remain in the wives' quarters.

Ahk, of course, would be often quizzed by his father. He would have to think of ways to solve certain scenarios that his father would make up. His other lessons had been altered, by his own request, to include more of the things that would help him to become a good ruler. When their normal lessons were over, Alex had started teaching him martial arts. The training held a dual purpose, to give him the ability to defend himself, and to keep her training strong in this new, nearly sedentary lifestyle. He actually had a natural talent for it. But he could never follow through on any of his attacks, no matter how much she assured him that she could block it.

On their first free day, she been woken by Ahk kissing the fresh, still pink scar on her cheek. He had already dressed but was in the simple skirt that he had been wearing she'd first arrived. "Come with me," he whispered. "I'm taking some goods to Savta for her to distribute among some of the other slaves." Sneaking out sounded like a very good way to spend the day. She sped through her new dressing process, but she still had issues with the ties on her sandals. He teased her on it as he kneeled before her to tie them. A light blush stained her cheeks. Was this what Cinderella had felt? For her entire life, she'd had to work hard to support herself. Now almost everything she wanted was provided for her, and it was rare that she even got to so much as dress herself. And here was her prince, slipping the shoes onto her feet.

With her sandals properly fastened he led her onto the balcony. Securing a rope to the the railing he shimmied down to the roof a good distance below. Alex followed him closely. It was evident from his confidence that he had done this many times before. Once they had landed on the flat roof, he led her across to a partially hidden staircase carved into the side of the building. Not far from there was the storage area. Each carried a sack full of grain as they carefully made their way to the slave district. Luckily no one had realized they were gone yet, and the trip was uneventful.

Savta was waiting for them. "Menes, you are an angel of God," she greeted, using his old code name. This year the grain fields had been a little less productive than normal. And many of the slave owners were greedy, rarely supplying their slaves with even enough to survive. She brought them into her house and had them set the grain in the corner. "I don't know how we could ever repay your brave kindness."

He plopped down into a chair beside the cooking fire, kicking his feet out like he was in his own home. Alex sat on the floor beside him, leaving the only other chair for the old woman. "You can repay me by keeping my secrets," he replied, staring into the fire. "And..."

"And?"

A smirk formed on his lips as his eyes shifted to the old woman. "I believe you promised me a story about my mother."

The elder chuckled merrily, as she took the seat across from them. "Indeed I did, dear boy." She paused for a moment to reminisce and to find the words for her memories. "At the time I was a slave for your mother's family. Later I would be sent to your father as part of her dowry , but that isn't part of this story. When your mother was young, much younger than you are now, she would dress herself as a boy and sneak out of her father's palace.

Your mother, much like you, would often bring goods to us when we were unable to sustain ourselves on what little our masters shared with us. It didn't take us long to figure out who she was and where she was getting the goods from. But we played along anyway, pretending like we thought she was a peasant boy instead of a princess. She insisted we call her 'Menes' and befriended many of the children her age. Her kindness wasn't limited to just her own people. Every kingdom she ever visited seemed to thrive while she was there.

Since her mother died giving birth, she was the only shining star in her fathers world. He could never bear to be parted from her for very long, so when he travelled to meet with the other kings, he would take her with him. And in every kingdom they travelled to, she would find those in dire need and give what provision she could spare from her own supplies. As the years passed, she blossomed into an unrivaled beauty, and even dressing as a boy couldn't hide it. So both her beauty and her heart became reknown throughout all the nine kingdoms. And to all who chanced to meet her, be they noble or slave, she shined like a jewel. That is how she became the glittering jewel of the nine kingdoms."

"Whoa," Alex said.

Ahk was shocked. "She told me the other day that she used to dress as a boy and sneak out of the palace, but I didn't know the rest."

Alex smiled up at him and put a hand on his knee. "You even chose the same name."

Resting an arm around her shoulder, he returned her smile. "I truly am my mother's son." His smile turned into a mock scowl. "But I refuse to be compared to a jewel."

The old lady chuckled. "It is your father that makes her keep that title. She would pretend like it didn't exist." Her face became serious. "You are also your father's son. You have his intellegence and his thirst for knowledge. I will tell you this: your father knows what you've been doing."

"Then why would he not stop me?"

She chuckled again. "That I do not know. If he wasn't aware of what you do, those of us receiving the grain would have been put to death for stealing from the palace." She pointed to the royal seal, sewn into the side of one of the bags.

His mouth dropped open and he silently cursed his own stupidity. "I had never considered that."

"Well now you know that you no longer have to sneak about. I was once a mother, so I can tell you how much he worries when you do. Now you should go before you are missed."

Late that afternoon Merenkahre had called Shepseheret, Ahkmenrah and Alex to meet him in the gardens. There was no particular reason, he simply wished to spend some time with his family. He set time aside every month to do so.

Ahk managed to arrive ahead of the women. His father was already waiting alone, the guards having been dismissed to the gardens' paremeter. "Father," he began than stopped, nerves stealing his voice.

"What is it, my son?" Merenkahre asked, putting a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I...I..." He took a deep breath, and stood tall. "You do not have to worry about distributing grain to the slave district this month. I took two sacks this morning." He closed his eyes waiting for a punishment, or a scolding. Nothing could prepare him for hearing his father's jovial and honest laugh.

When he could finally stop to breath, Merenkahre once again placed his hand on the young prince's shoulder. "I already knew this, my son. If I did not, my guards would have stopped you."

Ahk was confused. "But last time..."

Merenkahre interupted him. "Last time you went alone, knowing full well that you were a mark for the assassins. My guards were not going after you to bring you back, merely to protect you. And you stayed out much longer then necessary. This time you took Alex. Your wife has proven to be skilled warrior. I knew you would be safe with her at your side."

"Oh," was all he could say.

"Even though I already knew, I am overjoyed that you finally found me worthy of your...secret. Perhaps next time I will accompany you myself." Feeling stunned, sheepish and a little guilty, Ahk could only nod his responce.

When the women finally arrived, Ahk immediately grabbed Alex's hand and dragged her ahead, first discussing the conversation with his father, then pointing out all the most beautiful flowers and explaining where they had come from. Most of the flowers she had never seen before. She asked for permission to take some of the seed pods and bulbs and maybe a clipping or two to keep in her satchel, which never left her side. She never knew when she would be sent back home, and she didn't want to risk leaving her tech behind.

"I will have a servant gather the seeds for you, and I will have the seamstress make another satchel for you to carry them in," he promised, sealing it with a kiss to the hand he continued to hold. "Though I do wonder why you would desire such a thing."

She remained silent for a moment, formulating a responce. He didn't know yet that she was from the future. If she told him, he might want more details about the future. The more he knew about the future, the more likely it was that not only he would change, so would the future. If she didn't tell him, he would eventually grow to hate her for not trusting him enough. Finally she settled on a happy medium, vague but honest. "I have a way with plants. And someday I would like to grow these flowers in my own garden."

This only confused him more. "These are your gardens as much as they are mine and my father's. Why would you wish to grow flowers which are already here?"

Maybe she really was doomed when it came to Ahkmenrah. There was always something that would keep her from being completely honest with him. "Someday I'll explain it to you. I promise. But right now I'm not sure how you'd take it."

Studying her face for a moment he finally replied, "Alright." He brought her hand to his lips and placed another kiss on it. "I trust you, love. When you are ready, I will listen." Alex stared at him. Had he always been this sappy?

Merenkahre and Shepseheret walked hand in hand, watching the younger couple. He kissed her hand and smiled at her. "I envy them the time they have left," he softly admitted.

"My love, we have had seventeen glorious years and we have many, many more ahead of us," she reassured him. She leaned against him as they walked. For a time, they continued to observe the younger couple.

They froze as they saw Alex step protectvely in front of Ahk. Alex screamed for the guards. Merenkahre could only echo her call when he realized what she had sensed. Upon hearing her cry the assassins revealed themselves. Alex fought them off as much as she could. Ahk was proving he really could carry through an attack when properly motivated. Merenkahre was skillfully swinging his staff as a club. There were twice as many of them than the last attack. Alex quickly found herself separated from Ahk. She saw one of the assassins approaching Ahk from behind, as his focus was on the opponent in front of him. Unable to reach him, she screamed his name. Just as Ahk felled the opponent in front of him, Merenkahre pushed him out of the way of the rear attack, taking the blade meant for his son's heart into his own. Shepseheret screamed her husbands name. Ahkmenrah caught him as he fell, the weight taking them both down. Too late, the guards finally responded, and with Alex's help rounded up the leftover assassins.

Three days passed. Ahk had come out of his room only to attend his father's funeral. He wasn't eating or sleeping and he hadn't even bothered to change out of his mourning clothes. His coronation was in two days, the same day as his birthday. But as things were now, Alex wasn't sure if he'd even attend his own coronation. His mother, while in mourning, was able to at least tend to the necessities. Alex admired her strength. She had been trying to give him time to cope, but he had things he had to do, people who needed him, and as he was now, he was in no condition to be any kind of leader. After helping Shepseheret with some things, she returned to their room. He was where she'd left him, laying on the bed staring at the ceiling. He didn't even bother to see who had come in. "Leave me," he said, voice thick and raw from crying. He rolled over so his back was to the door.

"Not gonna happen." With red, puffy eyes, he turned to look at her then forced himself into a sitting position. She moved to sit beside him on the bed. "Look. I know what it's like to lose a parent. The days feel like they should be cloudy and dark, but the sun shines bright. People around you are able to smile and laugh and you can't figure out how they even can." She rubbed his back in soothing circles. "The ugly truth is that life goes on without them, and you have to go with it." His tears began flowing for what must have been the millionth time. Without bothering to ask for permission she embraced him. "I know what you're going through, and I'm here for you." He began sobbing into her chest. "You have people who need you now. Someday, you'll have to face your father again. And when that day comes don't you want to be able to hold your head high?"

"It's my fault," came his muffled voice. "If I was a better warrior, if I had practised harder the things you taught me, I could have saved him."

She simply held him for a moment, choosing her words. "No you couldn't. Even if you were the best martial artist on earth, that assassin would still have snuck up from behind to try to kill you. And your father would still have jumped into the path of the blade for you. That's just what parents...well, at least real parents do. Whoever sent the assassins is the one responsible, not you." Comprehending the truth in her words, his tears began to slow. Probably because there weren't many left anymore. This was probably his first real loss, she realized. She knew from personal experience, that what he really needed was a distraction. If she could get his mind off of it just once, then he'd be able to keep his mind off it when necessary. For her it had been her grandma introducing her to martial arts. For him...For him she was about to forsake everything her culture had taught her was acceptable. She let herself fall backwards onto the bed, taking him with her, then pulled him up by the collar so she could kiss him. And he clung to the distraction with everything he had left.

One week had passed since the wedding and she had learned more about the ancient Egyptian culture than the modern day scholars who spent their entire lives studying it. She had been forbidden from sleeping in any bed but Ahk's. He had kept his word, so far, and his other wives had been all but forgotten. It had made her feel guilty, but only a little. Later she learned that his father had done the same thing after marrying Shepseheret. She still found it awkward to sleep in the same bed. It wasn't because she couldn't see him as her husband. Since it was Ahkmenrah, that wasn't the issue at all. It was because he was still so very young.

As teenage boys are sometimes wont to do, he pestered her every night and sometimes during the day, for another...romp. She always denied him, wondering how long she could without being thrown out on her ear. Part of her would always argue, that they were married, so there was nothing wrong with giving in to him. But the teachings of her culture would win out. He was too young for such things, and if she gave in just once, his desires along with her own, would ensure that she'd never be able to deny him again.

Shepseheret had taken it upon herself to teach Alex everything she needed to know about being the great royal wife. There really wasn't much to it. Much to Alex's displeasure the most important thing was providing her husband with everything he asked of her. She despised the way that the pharaohs' women were treated. Having lived her entire life in almost complete freedom, it was a harsh change. Often she would find herself wishing that Ahk wasn't royal at all. The common women of this era had almost all the freedoms of the women of Alex's era. But the royal women had almost no freedom whatsoever. They weren't mistreated by any means, but unless summoned by their husband, they could only go to the royal gardens, the royal library, or remain in the wives' quarters.

Ahk, of course, would be often quizzed by his father. He would have to think of ways to solve certain scenarios that his father would make up. His other lessons had been altered, by his own request, to include more of the things that would help him to become a good ruler. When their normal lessons were over, Alex had started teaching him martial arts. The training held a dual purpose, to give him the ability to defend himself, and to keep her training strong in this new, nearly sedentary lifestyle. He actually had a natural talent for it. But he could never follow through on any of his attacks, no matter how much she assured him that she could block it.

On their first free day, she been woken by Ahk kissing the fresh, still pink scar on her cheek. He had already dressed but was in the simple skirt that he had been wearing she'd first arrived. "Come with me," he whispered. "I'm taking some goods to Savta for her to distribute among some of the other slaves." Sneaking out sounded like a very good way to spend the day. She sped through her new dressing process, but she still had issues with the ties on her sandals. He teased her on it as he kneeled before her to tie them. A light blush stained her cheeks. Was this what Cinderella had felt? For her entire life, she'd had to work hard to support herself. Now almost everything she wanted was provided for her, and it was rare that she even got to so much as dress herself. And here was her prince, slipping the shoes onto her feet.

With her sandals properly fastened he led her onto the balcony. Securing a rope to the the railing he shimmied down to the roof a good distance below. Alex followed him closely. It was evident from his confidence that he had done this many times before. Once they had landed on the flat roof, he led her across to a partially hidden staircase carved into the side of the building. Not far from there was the storage area. Each carried a sack full of grain as they carefully made their way to the slave district. Luckily no one had realized they were gone yet, and the trip was uneventful.

Savta was waiting for them. "Menes, you are an angel of God," she greeted, using his old code name. This year the grain fields had been a little less productive than normal. And many of the slave owners were greedy, rarely supplying their slaves with even enough to survive. She brought them into her house and had them set the grain in the corner. "I don't know how we could ever repay your brave kindness."

He plopped down into a chair beside the cooking fire, kicking his feet out like he was in his own home. Alex sat on the floor beside him, leaving the only other chair for the old woman. "You can repay me by keeping my secrets," he replied, staring into the fire. "And..."

"And?"

A smirk formed on his lips as his eyes shifted to the old woman. "I believe you promised me a story about my mother."

The elder chuckled merrily, as she took the seat across from them. "Indeed I did, dear boy." She paused for a moment to reminisce and to find the words for her memories. "At the time I was a slave for your mother's family. Later I would be sent to your father as part of her dowry , but that isn't part of this story. When your mother was young, much younger than you are now, she would dress herself as a boy and sneak out of her father's palace.

Your mother, much like you, would often bring goods to us when we were unable to sustain ourselves on what little our masters shared with us. It didn't take us long to figure out who she was and where she was getting the goods from. But we played along anyway, pretending like we thought she was a peasant boy instead of a princess. She insisted we call her 'Menes' and befriended many of the children her age. Her kindness wasn't limited to just her own people. Every kingdom she ever visited seemed to thrive while she was there.

Since her mother died giving birth, she was the only shining star in her fathers world. He could never bear to be parted from her for very long, so when he travelled to meet with the other kings, he would take her with him. And in every kingdom they travelled to, she would find those in dire need and give what provision she could spare from her own supplies. As the years passed, she blossomed into an unrivaled beauty, and even dressing as a boy couldn't hide it. So both her beauty and her heart became reknown throughout all the nine kingdoms. And to all who chanced to meet her, be they noble or slave, she shined like a jewel. That is how she became the glittering jewel of the nine kingdoms."

"Whoa," Alex said.

Ahk was shocked. "She told me the other day that she used to dress as a boy and sneak out of the palace, but I didn't know the rest."

Alex smiled up at him and put a hand on his knee. "You even chose the same name."

Resting an arm around her shoulder, he returned her smile. "I truly am my mother's son." His smile turned into a mock scowl. "But I refuse to be compared to a jewel."

The old lady chuckled. "It is your father that makes her keep that title. She would pretend like it didn't exist." Her face became serious. "You are also your father's son. You have his intellegence and his thirst for knowledge. I will tell you this: your father knows what you've been doing."

"Then why would he not stop me?"

She chuckled again. "That I do not know. If he wasn't aware of what you do, those of us receiving the grain would have been put to death for stealing from the palace." She pointed to the royal seal, sewn into the side of one of the bags.

His mouth dropped open and he silently cursed his own stupidity. "I had never considered that."

"Well now you know that you no longer have to sneak about. I was once a mother, so I can tell you how much he worries when you do. Now you should go before you are missed."

Late that afternoon Merenkahre had called Shepseheret, Ahkmenrah and Alex to meet him in the gardens. There was no particular reason, he simply wished to spend some time with his family. He set time aside every month to do so.

Ahk managed to arrive ahead of the women. His father was already waiting alone, the guards having been dismissed to the gardens' paremeter. "Father," he began than stopped, nerves stealing his voice.

"What is it, my son?" Merenkahre asked, putting a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I...I..." He took a deep breath, and stood tall. "You do not have to worry about distributing grain to the slave district this month. I took two sacks this morning." He closed his eyes waiting for a punishment, or a scolding. Nothing could prepare him for hearing his father's jovial and honest laugh.

When he could finally stop to breath, Merenkahre once again placed his hand on the young prince's shoulder. "I already knew this, my son. If I did not, my guards would have stopped you."

Ahk was confused. "But last time..."

Merenkahre interupted him. "Last time you went alone, knowing full well that you were a mark for the assassins. My guards were not going after you to bring you back, merely to protect you. And you stayed out much longer then necessary. This time you took Alex. Your wife has proven to be skilled warrior. I knew you would be safe with her at your side."

"Oh," was all he could say.

"Even though I already knew, I am overjoyed that you finally found me worthy of your...secret. Perhaps next time I will accompany you myself." Feeling stunned, sheepish and a little guilty, Ahk could only nod his responce.

When the women finally arrived, Ahk immediately grabbed Alex's hand and dragged her ahead, first discussing the conversation with his father, then pointing out all the most beautiful flowers and explaining where they had come from. Most of the flowers she had never seen before. She asked for permission to take some of the seed pods and bulbs and maybe a clipping or two to keep in her satchel, which never left her side. She never knew when she would be sent back home, and she didn't want to risk leaving her tech behind.

"I will have a servant gather the seeds for you, and I will have the seamstress make another satchel for you to carry them in," he promised, sealing it with a kiss to the hand he continued to hold. "Though I do wonder why you would desire such a thing."

She remained silent for a moment, formulating a responce. He didn't know yet that she was from the future. If she told him, he might want more details about the future. The more he knew about the future, the more likely it was that not only he would change, so would the future. If she didn't tell him, he would eventually grow to hate her for not trusting him enough. Finally she settled on a happy medium, vague but honest. "I have a way with plants. And someday I would like to grow these flowers in my own garden."

This only confused him more. "These are your gardens as much as they are mine and my father's. Why would you wish to grow flowers which are already here?"

Maybe she really was doomed when it came to Ahkmenrah. There was always something that would keep her from being completely honest with him. "Someday I'll explain it to you. I promise. But right now I'm not sure how you'd take it."

Studying her face for a moment he finally replied, "Alright." He brought her hand to his lips and placed another kiss on it. "I trust you, love. When you are ready, I will listen." Alex stared at him. Had he always been this sappy?

Merenkahre and Shepseheret walked hand in hand, watching the younger couple. He kissed her hand and smiled at her. "I envy them the time they have left," he softly admitted.

"My love, we have had seventeen glorious years and we have many, many more ahead of us," she reassured him. She leaned against him as they walked. For a time, they continued to observe the younger couple.

They froze as they saw Alex step protectvely in front of Ahk. Alex screamed for the guards. Merenkahre could only echo her call when he realized what she had sensed. Upon hearing her cry the assassins revealed themselves. Alex fought them off as much as she could. Ahk was proving he really could carry through an attack when properly motivated. Merenkahre was skillfully swinging his staff as a club. There were twice as many of them than the last attack. Alex quickly found herself separated from Ahk. She saw one of the assassins approaching Ahk from behind, as his focus was on the opponent in front of him. Unable to reach him, she screamed his name. Just as Ahk felled the opponent in front of him, Merenkahre pushed him out of the way of the rear attack, taking the blade meant for his son's heart into his own. Shepseheret screamed her husbands name. Ahkmenrah caught him as he fell, the weight taking them both down. Too late, the guards finally responded, and with Alex's help rounded up the leftover assassins.

Three days passed. Ahk had come out of his room only to attend his father's funeral. He wasn't eating or sleeping and he hadn't even bothered to change out of his mourning clothes. His coronation was in two days, the same day as his birthday. But as things were now, Alex wasn't sure if he'd even attend his own coronation. His mother, while in mourning, was able to at least tend to the necessities. Alex admired her strength. She had been trying to give him time to cope, but he had things he had to do, people who needed him, and as he was now, he was in no condition to be any kind of leader. After helping Shepseheret with some things, she returned to their room. He was where she'd left him, laying on the bed staring at the ceiling. He didn't even bother to see who had come in. "Leave me," he said, voice thick and raw from crying. He rolled over so his back was to the door.

"Not gonna happen." With red, puffy eyes, he turned to look at her then forced himself into a sitting position. She moved to sit beside him on the bed. "Look. I know what it's like to lose a parent. The days feel like they should be cloudy and dark, but the sun shines bright. People around you are able to smile and laugh and you can't figure out how they even can." She rubbed his back in soothing circles. "The ugly truth is that life goes on without them, and you have to go with it." His tears began flowing for what must have been the millionth time. Without bothering to ask for permission she embraced him. "I know what you're going through, and I'm here for you." He began sobbing into her chest. "You have people who need you now. Someday, you'll have to face your father again. And when that day comes don't you want to be able to hold your head high?"

"It's my fault," came his muffled voice. "If I was a better warrior, if I had practised harder the things you taught me, I could have saved him."

She simply held him for a moment, choosing her words. "No you couldn't. Even if you were the best martial artist on earth, that assassin would still have snuck up from behind to try to kill you. And your father would still have jumped into the path of the blade for you. That's just what parents...well, at least real parents do. Whoever sent the assassins is the one responsible, not you." Comprehending the truth in her words, his tears began to slow. Probably because there weren't many left anymore. This was probably his first real loss, she realized. She knew from personal experience, that what he really needed was a distraction. If she could get his mind off of it just once, then he'd be able to keep his mind off it when necessary. For her it had been her grandma introducing her to martial arts. For him...For him she was about to forsake everything her culture had taught her was acceptable. She let herself fall backwards onto the bed, taking him with her, then pulled him up by the collar so she could kiss him. And he clung to the distraction with everything he had left.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex stared at her sleeping husband's face. She often forgot how young he really was until she saw his slumbering face. The stress of being a good pharaoh so often showed on his countenance. She'd been stuck in ancient Egypt for over two and a half years, and had long since given up wanting to go back. Sure, there were some things... a lot of things, that she missed. Technology being the main thing. Too many times she'd found herself willing to sell her own skin for cell phone service, just so she wouldn't have to traverse the entirety of the palace just to find someone. Surprisingly they did have indoor plumbing, but no one had thought to invent the water heater just yet. But being with Ahk was totally worth it. He'd hit a growth spurt last year and she was now eye level to his pectorals. Not that she minded. From all the martial arts training she'd been putting him through in their spare time, they were very attractive pectorals.

Ahk had been crowned king on his sixteenth birthday. And almost over night he became the man she'd left behind in the future. The only time his old self showed through was when they found out she was pregnant four months after their marriage. She'd never seen him so happy. And she had shared in his joy.

The assassins that had been captured for his father's death, had been found in their cells dead the next day. No one knew who had done it, or how. And no one had ever had a chance to question them. So whoever had hired them, had never been caught.

New assassins were hired by the mystery traitor and this time their mark was her. She'd fought them off as best as she could, but being seven months pregnant at the time slowed her down and limited her movements. They'd pinned her, knocking her down and repeatedly kicking her, before finally stabbing her in the belly. Being pregnant had saved her life at the cost of her child.

It was after this incident that the spy that the previous pharaoh had placed in the wives' chambers had discovered that it was Mert, Kahmunrah's mother who had been hiring the assassins. According to the spy, she'd been working alone. Ahk had been left with no choice but to put her death for treason against the crown.

One hand absently stroking the scar on her stomach, she frowned as she watched him sleep. He was seventeen now. And according to history, he was going to die soon. He'd never told her how he had died. For that she was grateful. If she knew, she would definitely try to stop it. She still might try to stop it if she recognized the moment when it came. And in doing so ruin everything they had...everything they would have in the future. "Wibbly wobbly timey wimey," she mumured.

"You say that often. What does it mean?" he asked.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Awhile. You were so enthralled with my beauty, I didn't wish to disturb you." He chuckled at her look of dismay. She gave him a playful shove, which he answered by pulling her closer and kissing her. Before things could go any farther there was a knock at the door signalling the start of his day. They both groaned their annoyance, as they begrudgingly left the warmth of the bed. She helped him dress, before dressing herself, and with one last kiss saw him off. Knowing she most likely wouldn't see him again until tonight, she sighed at the irony. A three thousand year gap and nothing really changed.

Ahk had given her a mission today. She was to sneak out and deliver some goods to Savta, who would divide them amongst the slaves who needed them most. The guards were not to know. They would tell Ahk's older siblings, who would then bust his chops. Turned out that before Merenkahre had met Shepseheret, he'd been a real player. He'd had thirteen concubines, four wives, and among them all had fathered almost two dozen children.

To them the slaves were only slaves, but to Ahk and now Alex they were dear friends. If he could have he would probably free them, but first he had to find a way around all the political ramifications. With the the way that most of the royals treated them, Ahk had told her one day, he would not be surprised if, one day, they revolted and fled for freedom as an entire group. Alex had to try very hard not to laugh at his very accurate prediction. She'd made a mental note, if she was ever forced back to the future, ask Ahk to pick out some lottery numbers.

After she'd snuck back into the palace, she did what she normally did during the mid-afternoon. She would sit with the court children, mainly Ahk's neices and nephews, and tell them stories about a time traveling healer. Sometimes, like right now, Ahk would find her and listen in as well. She would always warn the kids not to repeat the stories she told, because no one could ever know about the mysterious healer. Sometimes she caught them fighting over who got to be the healer in a game of pretend. She hoped it was one of those things that got lost to time, and that she didn't ruin an entire franchise by sharing the stories three thousand years too soon. She could just picture archeologists uncovering a heiroglyph of an ancient Egyptian holding an acoustic screwdriver.

She finished her story and the kids ran off to find their now free parents. "You got out early today," she commented as she took a seat on his lap. His arms wrapped around her thin waist.

"Yes. The other kingdoms seem as eager for peace as I am." He paused. "The stories you tell. Do they come from your homeland?"

"Yes. Well, sort of." He waited for her to go into detail. She didn't.

"Where do you come from?"

How much could she tell him? She looked around the crowded room. "Not here." She stood up grabbing his hand and guiding him into the now empty throne room.

"Why is it such a secret?"

She hesitated. "I'm from a place called America. New York, to be more specific."

"I have never heard of these places. Are they far?"

"They are...very far. It's not about the distance though." She paused, weighing her options. Despite its very deceptive start, she wanted their marriage to be based on truth. "I'm..." She took a deep breath, to study her nerves. "I'm from New York City, three thousand years from now. I'm from the future."

He looked at her incredulously. "The future?" She nodded. She had shown him the items she always carried in the satchel at her waist, but it wasn't the first time he had seen new and incredible things from other kingdoms. The stress of the peace talks, the pressure from his siblings to be as good a king as their father, and now this. He snapped. "Do you still see me as a child? You must spin me stories to keep me entertained." His voice rose as he spoke.

"It's not a story." She was desperate for him to believe her.

"It is. Just like the stories you told those children. Why do you not trust me with the truth?"

"It is the truth," she shouted.

"Then tell me something that only a person from the future could know."

Slumping in defeat, she mentally prepared herself for the consequences of what she was about to say. "I can't tell you any specifics. You might try to change the future and if you change any part of the future, then we might not meet at all. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey."

Angrily, he turned on his heel. He couldn't even stand the sight of her right now. "For lying to your pharaoh, you shall be spending your nights in the wives' quarters until further notice." He stormed out.

She collapsed to the floor. It was basically the equivalent of dumping her. Only since he was royal, divorce wasn't an option. She was being sent to the wives' quarters, where she would remain until he called for her. It was like being sent to prison, she wouldn't be allowed to entertain the court children or even step outside for a breath of fresh air. Pulling her knees to her chest, she wept. Apparently her feelings for him weren't returned as much as she thought they were.

Over the next two days, she'd gotten extremely homesick. She'd thought about sneaking out and finding the tablet. She'd been able to sense it ever since it brought her here. But she didn't know how the tablet had brought her here, let alone how to make it send her back. So she did the next best thing, she fell into an extreme depression. Refusing every meal, and every drink, she lay on her matress, waiting to die. She wouldn't kill herself, that would bring shame to Ahk. And for some reason, incomprehensible to her, she still loved him. But she could die. At least then she would have her freedom back and Ahk would be rid of her. She felt sorry for her overly worried mother-in-law. The poor woman had rarely left her side the entire time.

Shepseheret had been very angry with her son when she had found out what he'd done. She had attempted to confront him, only for him to accuse her of falling for the childrens' stories. She had thought she'd raised him to have a more open mind. Or perhaps Merenkahre's older children were getting to him. They had never approved of Alex with her questionable origins, and her strong independence and free spirit. Alex had always approached Ahkmenrah with respect, but as a friend and equal, never as a pharaoh. She had assumed it was the free spirit that caught her sons eye in the first place, he was much like his father after all. Perhaps she'd been wrong.

She was confronting him for a second time. As the mother of the king, she had at least that much freedom. "My son, why do you punish her so?" She asked him for the second time in as many days.

"She lied to me, Mother. She treats me as a child, telling me the same stories she tells to the children of the court."

"How do you know she lied?"

"She said she was from another time. Everyone knows that's impossible. She lied to her pharaoh. My advisors would see her killed for such but I have saved her life by sending her away."

Shepseheret expertly held her temper. "According to my title, none of your advisors are the pharaoh." She was revealing a secret to him that no royal male had ever understood. "The wives' quarters are a prison. None of us can leave without your permission, and there is very little to do when you are trapped in a space that consists of three rooms. There are those of us who were bred for such an existence since birth. Alex is not one of those." She made him look her in the eye. "Such an existence is killing her. You're killing her."

His anger was quickly fading into guilt. "But she-"

His mother interupted him. "She did not lie."

"But-" She put a finger to his lips.

"Why is it impossible for her to be from another time?" She let her hand drop back to his shoulder.

"B-because it is..." he said, understanding slowly dawning.

"I was present with your father when the tablet brought her to us. He believed that she was sent through the tablet by your ancestors, the gods, to guide you in your reign."

"The tablet?"

"It has been yours since its creation. Your father just didn't know how to present such a thing to you until you were old enough." A thought occured to her. "Isn't it also impossible for statues to come to life?" He gaped at her, clearly remembering the day of his official naming as heir as well as the day of his marriage to Alex.

Regaining his composure, he stepped back from his mother. "Bring her to me."

She smiled and bowed her head. "As you wish, my pharaoh."

Alex had a fever and could barely stand on her own. But Shepseheret managed to dress her and walk her to the throne room, where Ahk waited. "What's wrong with her?" He asked worriedly at the sight of her flushed and sweating face. He ordered a guard to summon the healer.

"Since being sent to the wives' quarters she hasn't eaten any food nor drunken any liquids. Her body has become weak and illness must have taken hold. I only left her side for a few hours, she showed no signs before." Shepseheret nearly lost her grip on the girl, when she fell unconscious and no longer supported any of her own weight. Ahk quickly ran over to and effortlessly picked her up.

"Bring the healer to my chambers," he commanded.

No sooner had he situated his wife on their bed, and the healer came in with her novice in tow. The young assisstant, barely older than ten, looked at Alex with wide curious eyes. "Isn't she the one who was banished for lying to the pharaoh?"

Ahk's temper flared before he could catch it. "She is the great royal wife and you will treat her with due respect." The child whimpered and hid behind her teacher. Immediately guilt rushed over him. He turned to the healer as she kneeled beside the bed and set work examining her patient. "Who has been spreading such lies?"

The healer paused in her work to look at him, then continued her examination. "It was your older siblings, my king. They have been telling everyone in the royal court how the great royal wife blatantly lied to your majesty, refusing to give up her origins. And how in a fit of righteous anger you banished her to the desert sands."

His siblings? He thought they were better than that. The healer sensing his unease, continued. "With all due respect, sire. I believe they are trying to make your people see you as a strong and powerful leader."

"There is a difference between being strong and being a good king." He kneeled beside the healer and held Alex's hand. "Without her I am as weak a newborn babe. My aim is to be just and fair, not savage and ruthless."

The healer looked at him again and said something that could get her killed. "Then you have the potential to be a better pharaoh than your father, who strived for both justice and ruthlessness."

He knew the risks she took in saying that. But Alex had taught him that everone had an opinion and that sometimes knowing those opinions could help you become a better person. He wished he'd remembered that when his sibling advisors had been brainwashing him. He met the healer's gaze and decided to change the subject. "What's wrong with my wife?"

"I don't recognize this illness. There have been many foreigners within the palace as of late. It is possible one of them passed it on to her. It is progressing quickly. I will treat it as best I can, but I can make no promises on her survival through the night. I recommend she stays in the wives' quarters so as to avoid tainting your highness."

"No." He nearly shouted. "She will remain here, and I will remain by her side."

"As my pharaoh demands." The healer roughly grabbed the child's arm to escort her out. "You will tell no one what you have seen and heard here," she told the girl then bowed to the king. "I will return shortly with a tincture to ease the great queen's fever."

As the healer left his mother entered asking for news. He relayed to her the diagnosis. Survival of such an illness was extremely rare in this land. Some sicknesses only took hours to kill its victims, and Alex looked as though she were already knocking on death's door. "Perhaps if we could return her to her own time, the healers there can help her," the older woman suggested.

He still couldn't believe that she truly was from another time. Nor did he like the idea of being apart from her. What he did know for certain was that he would much rather have her alive and unreachable, then here and dead. "How do we do such a thing?"

"When she came to this land she appeared from nowhere in a flash of light. She was holding the tablet. The tablet must be key to her travels."

He slid a ring off his finger and handed it to his mother. "Show this to the tablet's guardians. Tell them to bring it to me themselves."

"Yes, my king." She maintained her graceful composure as far as getting out the door. Then she ran like the wind, desperate to save the daughter-in-law she'd come to love like her own flesh and blood. Within mere minutes the royal mother returned with the guardians behind her.

Ahk accepted the tablet from them, placed it Alex's arms, and stepped back. They'd even dressed her, shoes, satchels and all, as though she'd be taking a stroll around the palace. Nothing happened. He reached out to rotate the center tile. A cat statue in the corner of the room leapt from its pedestal, walked straight to Alex and purring loudly, curled up against her side. Still Alex remained the same. "How does the tablet work?" He demanded of the twin guardians.

"Your father was the only one who knew the secrets of the tablet," one replied.

The other added, "He was going to share them with you when you came of age."

Ahk let out an uncharacteristic curse. "You may go," he told the guardians.

"We will continue to guard the tablet," said the first.

"But we will do so from outside the room," the second added, pulling the other unwillingly toward the door.

He nodded his approval. "Mother, keep watch over her until the healer returns. I have matters to attend to regarding my older brothers. I will no longer take their advisements," he said darkly.

Minutes after he left, the healer returned, tincture in hand. When the healing medicine had been administered she warned the great mother. "She will either wake up soon, or not at all."

Shepseheret responded, "When she wakes she will be very hungry as she hasn't eaten in days. Please come with me and advise me in designing a meal for the servants to prepare." The healer nodded and left with her towards kitchens.

Kahmunrah had been waiting in the shadows for this very moment. After three years he finally had his chance. But for his plan to be work he would need that tablet. "Little brother thent me to check on hith wife," he told the guardians. They shared suspicious looks. "I could alwayth tell him how you made hith poor thick beloved die alone." They looked at each other, communicating without words, then, reluctantly, let him pass. After locking the door securely, he walked to the side of the bed. "I have been waiting for thith moment for a long time, dear thithter. I'm sure the illneth will do the job." He unsheathed a dagger from his waist. "But why take the rithk." The illness, of course, had not been part of his plan, but it did, never the less, work towards his favor. He swung the dagger downward toward her heart only to hit the mattress below.

The tablet, as though sensing the danger it was in, had shared a small amount of its energy with her. While still gravely ill, she could move, if only just, and had rolled out of the way. Thunder sounded outside, signifying the rare Egyptian rain. Any inhabitants still awake would be out dancing in it to celebrate. Alex heard a loud pounding on the door and Ahk's muffled voice on the other side as he ordered his guards to break it down. She wanted to call out to him, but her voice seemed stuck in her throat. Kahmunrah began leisurely walking around the bed, stalking her. Clutching the tablet close to her heart, she stumbled her way towards the balcony. He chuckled. "You can't ethcape now. After thtealing my rightful throne, and killing my mother you'll finally get whath coming to you." She slung open the balcony door and pinned herself tight against the railing, as far away as she could get, the rain immediately soaking her thin dress. The cheers of the people below filled her ears. Slipping on the rain slicked floor and losing her balance, she managed to catch herself on the railing and slide down into a sitting position. Kahmunrah stalked closer. The door to the room burst open with a bang and a shower of splinters. She used the railing to pull herself back up. Ahkmenrah and Shepseheret shouted her name, she could not answer. Kahmunrah raised his dagger high, and on instinct she raised the tablet to shield herself. As the tablet raised high, ightning struck it, and the dagger hit nothing but air. The tablet laying on the balcony floor was the only sign that anyone had ever been there. Shouting her name for a second time, Ahk flew to the tablet, all else forgotten. As he bent to pick it up, a dagger entered his back and imbedded in his heart. "One way or another, dear brother, the throne will be mine." Ahkmenrah no longer cared. If it meant being reunited with his beloved then he welcomed death.

Shepseheret screamed and ran to her son, pulling him into her arms even as he breathed his last. Laughing, Kahmunrah took the tablet and began strolling back through the room, passed the guards who were at a loss of what to do. Kahmunrah was next in line since Ahkmenrah had no children. Didn't that mean he was now the pharaoh? Carefully Shepseheret pulled the dagger from Ahk's back, unwilling to damage the heart any more than it had already been. Tears streaming down her face she gently and lovingly laid her son's body on balcony. With another scream she charged at Kahmunrah, dagger held high. The would be king turned just in time to catch it in his own heart. "You will never have this kingdom. You never had what it takes to be king, that's why your father chose Ahkmenrah. You could never hope to be even half the man my son was." Eyes wide with shock and disbelief, he fell down dead.

Upon seeing and understanding all that was taking place, the twin guardians of the tablet stepped around the stunned guards. One kneeled by the now queen pharaoh's side and gently guided her up and out of the room. The other retrieved the tablet and left to summon the priests to deal with the bodies. In the streets below the people ignorantly celebrated, as heaven continued to weep.


	7. Epilogue Part 1

Ahkmenrah and the tablet had stayed in Britain, while the others had all willingly returned to New York, knowing that their days as living exhibits were over. Honestly he couldn't possibly find a way to repay their generosity. So he promised himself, that if Alex didn't reappear at the end of the three years, then he would arrange to have the tablet stay in the Museum of Natural History in New York. Permanently. His father would have been angry if he knew. But the tablet was his, to do with as he saw fit. His father just wanted for them to be together as a family. What his father didn't understand was that Alex was his family. And if he couldn't get her back, if he couldn't keep her, then he would rather be a mummy. Eventually, maybe, he would be able to rest in peace. Then, maybe, just maybe, he could see her again.

It had taken almost a year before he could even slide his cheerful mask back into place. But even through the grief, he'd taken it upon himself to be the ambassador between the night guard, Tilly, and the newly living inhabitants of the British Museum. She'd taken to the change rather well. They'd become fast friends. Probably because Tilly was a human who lost the exhibit she fell in love with, while he was an exhibit who lost the human he was in love with. They understood each other's pain, and that had created a support system of sorts.

The British Museum remained quiet on this night. Even with the tablet's powers in full swing. Tilly had warned them that some of the employees would be working over night in order to pack up some of the exhibits for a long visit to New York's Museum of Natural History. Ahk had confided in Tilly what he wished done with the tablet. She was understanding but extremely hesitant. For her this had been the worst job ever until the tablet came into the museum. Returning the tablet to New York, and leaving it there, would mean coming back to a dead museum. For the sake of her sanity she would, most likely, have to find a new job. But she understood where he was coming from. After losing her caveman there had been many days that she wished she could stay asleep forever too. Then she realized that if the tablet stayed in New York, he would be awake, and all she would have to do is transfer to that museum and they would be together. Had Ahk intentionally planned it that way? She had learned by now that he was the type of person who, if he couldn't be happy he would at least help someone else to find their happiness.

The New York exhibits were all so excited about having him here and about being alive, that they insisted on having a party the second they woke up the next night. Ahk wasn't into it, but after suffering through three years of misery, he'd found he was able to at least pretend like he was having fun.

Tilly was in Dr. Mcphee's office. She had just handed him the tablet, having been told by Larry that he was an unbeliever. They waited for the magic to begin. The tablet glowed and the music started. She guided him out of his office and toward the railing that overlooked the main entrance, showing him the exhibits in all their celebratory glory. Tilly joined the party while Ahk was able to sneak away to join the currator. "So you're the real Ahkmenrah?" McPhee asked.

"Yes. I am."

"You're not an actor? Because all this time I thought you were an actor."

A slightly amused half smile appeared on Ahk's face. "I'm not an actor."

"Well. That explains a lot. And it's all because of this tablet?" He held it up while Ahk leaned on the railing while looking down at the ongoing party.

"Yes." For a moment the only sounds were those of the festivities. "I am considering leaving it here."

"Are you staying then? 'Cause I can arrange that."

"No. Regardless of my decision, I will be returning to London."

"But without the tablet? Why? I mean not that I'd complain or anything."

He chose his words carefully. "I... lost someone and without her I'm just... tired. It may be time for me... to finally rest in peace."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Well, until you make your decision." He took a couple steps back and made a show of presenting the tablet to Ahkmenrah. "I believe this belongs to you, your highness."

Before Ahk could accept it a brilliant flash of light filled the area, blinding even those in the party below. When it faded and all eyes readjusted, there was Alex holding onto the other end of the tablet. Her ancient egyptian dress was soaked through, making it practically invisible. "Wha- Alex? Where did you come from?" McPhee asked.

Ahkmenrah called her name in disbelief. She let go of the tablet and turned towards him only to collapse into his arms in a shivering, unconscious heap. "Call an ambulance, then call Larry," he ordered McPhee. He'd forgotten how sick she'd been when she disappeared the first time. If the tablet hadn't brought her back, she would have died, and it would have been entirely his fault. He had to stop himself from outright bawling.

"On it," McPhee said. "Someone find her a spare uniform or something. Just something dry." The exhibits, especially the ones who had been present for her disappearance, sprang into action.

Alex woke slowly. "It was the worst case of influenza, I've seen in years. We took a sample to our lab, and they said it's a strain they've never seen before, something completely new. Our current flu shots would have had no effect. But with proper care, and some strong antibiotics, her immune system seems to be doing all the work for us." she heard. "When she got here she was extremely dehydrated, and her immune system was weakened considerably. If she had gotten here just a little later we would be having a completely different conversation. But she should be fine in a few days."

"Ok. Thank you, Doctor." Was that Larry? Why did he sound like he hadn't slept in days? After a moment she felt a hand holding hers. She squeezed it.

Struggling to open her eyes, she heard Larry call the doctor back in. She got her eyes to open only a little. Where am I? She wanted to ask. Something was keeping her from speaking, but her brain wasn't working enough to tell her what that something was. She was too tired to freak out properly. She could hear him speaking to her, but could no longer make out the words. Fingers pressed gently on her neck. A dragging sensation in her throat as something was pulled out. Finally she was able to take a deep breath and things became a little clearer. "...Awake," she heard from Larry.

"...if she falls asleep. ...right now."

"Ahkmen," she said, using all of her energy to just whisper the name. The world went dark.

"Don't be surprised if she falls asleep," the doctor told him. "Her body has had hard time fighting this and she needs the rest right now."

"Ahkmen." They looked at her. Larry's fist clenched tight.

"I didn't quite make that out," the doctor admitted.

"Her... husband," he ground out.

"I take it you don't approve."

He'd made it clear when she came in that he was her brother. They wouldn't have allowed him in the room if they knew they weren't really related. "Not anymore," he replied. The doctor, deciding not to pry, went on with his rounds. Larry returned to his seat beside Alex's bed. When Alex had first disappeared it had taken a couple days for Ahk's story to sink in. And he still couldn't say that he believed much of it. Ahk had said he was only fifteen when Alex married him. She just wouldn't do something like that. At least not willingly. He'd tried to do more research on Ahkmenrah and his family. His wives, all three, had been mentioned in passing, but there were no names. Parts of Ahk's story just didn't pan out. There was no way she would, at at twenty something, have a baby, or in this case, almost have a baby, with a sixteen year old kid. That just wasn't Alex. Unless she'd been forced into it.

As suspicious as Larry had become of him, it was good that he had agreed to stay in London. Larry just couldn't trust him anymore. But apparently she still did. Just a couple hours until sunset. She would want Ahk to know. He would respect that, even if he didn't like the guy anymore.

Sunset found him in the museum, going on a night tour. He easily snuck away from the group to find Tilly. Better if she relayed the message. "He's gonna wanna see ha," she said. "As long as he's back befoh sunrise." Tilly made him deliver his own message, since he would be the one who would have to chauffer the kid anyway.

Their meeting was awkward, but less painful then Larry had thought it would be. More like strangers then ex-friends. They found a spare uniform that fit Ahkemenrah, and Larry drove them back to the hospital, regardless of the risks to Ahk's very existence. Part of him, a very small part, kind of hoped that they'd be late getting back. "We can't stay long," Larry warned. "I have class tomorrow, which means I actually have to sleep during the night now." When the tablet had stayed in London, Larry quit his job at the museum. It was just too boring now. Insead he finished his degree, and began teaching history.

Ahk only nodded. Tilly warned Larry that he hadn't spoken a word, since Alex had come back nine days ago. The young king's anxiety visibly worsened the closer they got to her room. Whatever it was he had done in the past, he'd had three thousand years to think about it and regret it. This went a long way to appeasing Larry's anger. "Welcome back, Mister Daley. That didn't take long," the receptionist greeted. "Your sister woke up again, but she might be asleep by now. Who's your friend."

He subconsciously put a reassuring hand to Ahk's back. "This is her husband."

"Finally, we meet the mysterious Mister Phillips," she said jovially, typing the info into her computer. Larry snorted. "I never would have pegged her for a cradle robber. You can go on in. Will you be staying the night again, Mister Daley?"

"No. Not tonight. Thank you, Jenny," Larry said with a wave as he guided Ahk to Alex's room. "Don't be surprised if she's still asleep." Larry warned him for the upteenth time. "The doctor said her body needs the rest after fighting the virus so hard." When he opened the door, they were surprised to see her not only awake, but pacing the floor. She flew into Ahk's arms causing him to fall to the floor and suddenly both of them were crying while Larry could only awkwardly look on.

After almost an hour of tears and tender kissing, they finally regained their composure enough to speak. "Alex." Ahk's first word in over a week. "Love. How can you ever forgive me?"

"It's not your fault. I wouldn't have believed me either." Then after a moment, "I didn't mean to leave you. I wanted to stay."

"No. If you had stayed, you would have been lost to me forever. If not to the illness, then to my brother. I think the tablet knew this."

"Alex, you should really be resting," Larry finally managed to get in.

She squeeled his name lept into his arms. "When did you get here? I missed you so much."

"I've been here the whole time, but you were...uh...a little busy. And I missed you too." He gave her a tight hug before letting go. "The doctor said you needed rest."

"Why? I feel fine. The only reason I'm still here is the receptionists wouldn't let me leave."

"You weren't fine two hours ago," Larry reasoned.

"Alex, please," Ahk added. "I don't want to risk losing you again."

"I'm telling you, I feel fine. I heard Larry earlier. Talking to the doctor, and I was so tired I couldn't stay awake. Then a couple hours ago I woke up and felt like I'd never been sick."

Larry sat in his usual seat, while Ahk pulled up another to the other side of her bed. Their unspoken plan worked, and she sat cross-legged on the bed between them. Even if she wasn't sleeping, sitting was more rest than pacing the floor. Then Ahk thought to ask, "Alex, do you remember what time you woke up?"

"According to that clock over there," she pointed to a clock on the wall across from the bed. "It was about six."

"That's the same time as sunset." Larry supplied.

The two men looked at eachother. "Interesting coincidence," the pharaoh said.

"Ahk," Alex began, finally noticing. "What are you wearing?"

Larry laughed openly, while Ahk replied. "Well I couldn't very well show up here in my royal garb."

Eyes narrowing slightly, she tilted her head at him. "I don't like it."

He stood and leaned over to kiss her. "If you're going to make me leave the museum, then you and Larry will just have to buy me some better clothes."

After a couple of hours of just visiting, Larry had to break up the party. "I teach now, so I kinda gotta sleep at night. And Ahk needs to be back in museum before sunrise," he explained. And Alex understood.

"Ahk, don't risk it." Alex pleaded. "Stay in the museum, and I'll come to you when they let me out."

Larry stopped in front of the museum to let Ahk out. They noticed the giant banner hanging over the doors. "We forgot to tell her," Larry said.

"I've only got three weeks left. I'll try to arrange something with Tilly, maybe we can convince McPhee to rehire her and transfer both her and Lah to the British Museum."

"...Or you could stay."

Ahk was silent for a moment, weighing his options. Would Alex even be willing to move so far away from her home? Could he leave his parents after finally being reunited with them? He'd been willing to leave them in their death sleep without the tablet, but had been planning on joining them. Now, everything was different and she was back. "I'll have to consider my options," he said, before getting out and heading toward the museum door, where Tilly was waiting to let him in.

For three more days Alex slept and woke with the rising and setting of the sun, before finally waking up in the middle of the day. They'd congratulated her and not just for waking up. "You've got a fighter there," the doctor had said. "Not many fetuses could survive that severe of an illness." She'd made them promise not to tell anyone else. After another day of observation and few more tests she was declared fit enough to go home. Unfortunately she had no home left to go back to. After three years her appartment had, of course, been rented out to another tenant, though Larry had managed to save her belongings and keep them in storage.

Larry took the day off to help her move some of her things into his guest room. Rather than unpack, she stayed only long enough to freshen up, then asked for a ride to the museum. It felt weird to be wearing modern clothes, especially pants, again.

He let her off at the front before taking the car into the parking garage. For several moments she stood frozen in place on the sidewalk as she read and reread the giant letters on the banner. Her eyes narrowed dangerously before she closed them, blowing the negative emotions out with a sigh. They weren't good for the baby. Besides, fate had never been kind to them since the beginning, so why start now?

Making her way to the loaned exhibit, she had a hard time believing she'd ever been gone. Everything was, more or less, exactly like she'd left it. Ahk's cypt was just where it used to be, the tablet hanging behind it, just like it always had been. Only this one was a reproduction. The real tablet, she'd been able to feel since the first time it transported her. And right now she could feel that it was in McPhee's office, so she made that her second stop.

Mcphee himself was making a few rounds, making sure everything was set for the night tours in a couple of hours. She took the time to sneak in and hold the object that had proven itself both a blessing and a bane. Leaning on the edge of the desk, one hand held the tablet while the other stroked absently on her still flat stomach. "Can't ever give me a break, can you," she mumbled to it. It had taken her job, her home, and, if only temporarily, her rights. In return it had given her an undead husband, heartbreak, and a child whose father could only ever be a part-time dad. Though she had to admit two of the last three weren't actually as bad as they sounded. At least she still had Ahk, which was infinitely better than him being permanently dead. Even if he had to go back to the British museum, at least she knew he'd be all right. Even if she followed Ahk, being stuck in the schedule he was, he would very rarely, sometimes never get spend any time with his own kid. She'd be raising this one on her own.

"Why couldn't you just leave me there? I was happy." At least she had been until near the end. How was she even supposed to explain all this? Eventually her little son or daughter would start asking questions. 'You're the sole surviving heir to an ancient Egyptian kingdom which no longer exists and your father is a pharoah who's been dead for thousands of years. Sorry I never told you, sweetheart.' Yeah, that'd work. If only she could go back, then everything would be all right.

She didn't realize how long she'd been thinking until she felt the tablet's power flow through her as it once again brought the museum to life. Holding it close to her chest, she half-heartedly strolled towards the egyptian exhibits.

Ahk met her halfway gently taking the tablet from her grip. "I'd rather not risk it," he said. "It has a tendency of transporting you away from me." Having gotten used to deffering to his authority, after three years of pharoah's wife training, she only nodded mutely. He frowned. In the past, before his untimely death, he'd never had an issue with her submitting to him. In fact, he often preffered it, considering the only one she ever submitted to was him alone. And more often than not, it would lead to him being the one submitting to her in the bedroom. But now having spent the last three thousand years watching women gain their freedoms and rights, it no longer sat well with him. "I'm not pharoah anymore," he reminded her with a sigh. "There was once a time you would have snatched it back from me." His heart leapt as the fire returned to her eyes. Grabbing his collar, she yanked him down into a surprise passionate kiss, then took off running, tablet in hand. For a moment he could only watch dazedly as her laughing form disappeared around the corner.

He followed her to one of the employee's lounges located on the roof. The thin layer of gravel crunched lightly beneath their feet. A strong breeze whipped his cape about. He fell into near panic when a bolt of lightning lit up the night sky. Catching her easily, he yanked the tablet from her grasp. Attempting to get it back she tripped over her own feet. How she could defeat an entire army on her own and still not be able to walk properly was beyond him. "Ow," she whined, standing up and carressing abused backside. Once again he had to pause to thank his gods for the strategically placed tail on his sash. He couldn't help it. He may be over three thousand years old, but his body remained that of a hormonal teenager.

"Bad things always seem to happen when you have the tablet. Especially when there is lightning involved," he explained. He set the tablet on a nearby table and pulled her to himself, holding onto her for dear life. "I can't lose you. Not again."

She pulled away only a little, and cocked her head at him. "What about when you go back to the other museum, though?"

"Go back?" He repeated. Honestly, she made it so hard to think straight.

"Yeah, back."

He mentally cursed himself for forgetting. "McPhee can make my return permanent."

Pulling away completely, she led him by the hand to sit in one of chairs surrounding the table holding the tablet, then sat side ways on his lap. One hand wrapped around his shoulders while the other began drawing random designs on his bare chest. "That's not the only issue," she finally admitted.

He tried to ignore the lump forming in his throat, and held her a little tighter. Did she want to leave him? Had what he'd done been too much for her? "What else then?"

"You can't just leave your parents like that. It took three thousand years for you to find them again."

He could feel his muscles relaxing and hoped she didn't notice his sigh of releif. "It took me three thousand years to find you again, too."

She sighed, her hand stilling. "There's also the issues that prevented me from telling you my feelings five years ago." She paused.

"Like what?" he prompted.

"The fact that I'm still aging while you're stuck inside the body of a teenager. If the tablet had left me in the past, things would have been all right. But now you have to watch me and our kid grow old and die, while you remain young forever."

"If the tablet had left you in the past you'd be dead."

"Maybe that would have been better for all of us."

"Don't say that. Never say that again. You don't know what it's like to," he cut himself off. "Wait. Did you just say 'our kid?'"

Choosing to watch the lightning storm instead of his face, she guided his hand to her middle. "Yeah. Roughly two months along. "

"What? How?" This couldn't be. Had she already betrayed him. He clearly remembered the last time they'd been together. It had been days before his death, and far, far longer than two months ago.

"Well. When a man loves a woman," she started.

Jerking his hand from her grip, he dropped her to the floor in his haste to get away from her. His now free hand gestured angrily between himself and her. "We haven't been together like that in over three millinia," he nearly shouted.

She threw a handfull of gravel at his chest as she stood up. Some of it clanged against his gold collar. "Three millinia from your point of view. Not even three weeks from mine. It's called time travel, genius. The kid's yours wether ya want it or not," she screamed. He could see the hurt, angry tears at the corners of her eyes as she turned on her heels and fled from him.

He called out to her, only to be ignored. Grabbing the tablet, he banged it repeatedly against his own crownless head, before slumping, unceremoniously back into the chair. How could he have forgotten the time travel? And she and his father had both thought he was fit to be pharaoh. What fools they were. And he was the biggest fool of them all.

Three thousand years ago he would have been ecstatic, just as he had been the first time. But now. What kind of father could he be? He'd heard enough from Larry to understand at least the basics of raising a child in this modern age. Dropping off and picking up the child from school. PTA meetings. Sports games. Club activities. He would never be able to participate in any of that. He would only get a couple of hours a day with the child, before they would have to go to bed. And even then only in winter when sunset was earlier. And he had no way, neither here nor in Britain, to provide for either his child or his currently jobless wife. Larry had often complained about the hardships of being a single parent. He didn't want Alex to go through that.

Another thing that tore at his heart was the fact that she was right. He would remain as he was. Frozen in time, watching his child grow up then watching it and Alex grow old and eventually die. Never had he loathed his current existence more than in this moment. Finally breaking, he held the tablet up. "This is all your fault," he bellowed. "If you never existed I would never have met her. I would never have been able to hurt her." He rushed to the edge of the roof, tablet raised high so he could shatter it on the sidewalk below. Then he paused, relic still held to the sky. Without it he would never have met her. Images flashed in his head of his life... and his after life. Images that didn't include her. To put it mildly, they sucked. Without her, he couldn't even call it living.

Gripping the tablet tightly in both hands, he leaned his elbows on the railing and rested his head between them. A soul shattering sound escaped from his mouth. "You were created for me," he said finally. "Do as I command. Send me back, so I can change things. I'll stop my brother's betrayal before it happens." He waited. Nothing. "Send me back." He tried again. "If not for me, than for Alex. For the child you helped create. I wish to be there for them. I wish to grow old with them." Still nothing.

The rain began, almost immediately turning into a torrental downpour. Ahk couldn't care less. He needed to find her, apologize for his behaviour. And maybe, if his luck still ran true, she wouldn't hate him. Looking to the sky, he lifted the tablet and pressed it hard against his forehead. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes tightly. Banishing the thought of destroying it took more effort than it should have. But it was all he had. The closest he would ever come to being with his family. He never saw the bolt of lightning that came streaking toward the tablet.

By some miracle Alex had made it into the restroom unnoticed. Sitting in a stall, crying her eyes out made her feel like a high school girl who's crush had rejected her. In a sense it wasn't that far from the truth. Her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach. How could he even think she would be with another man? But if, from his point of view it really had been three thousand years, then she could, sort of, understand where he was coming from. That didn't make it hurt any less, but maybe she had been overreacting. Stupid, mood altering pregnancy hormones.

Blowing her nose, she rose from the edge of the toilet seat and left the solitude of the stall. She splashed some water on her face, then paper toweled it dry. Looking into the mirror, she shrugged. It was pretty obvious she'd been crying, but the only people who would bring it up would be Larry, Sacagawea, and Teddy. And they all knew well enough to respect her silence.

Right now, though, she had to find her husband. They had a conversation to finish and she had to apologize for running off. Just as her hand touched the door handle she found herself plunged into darkness. She let herself out of the room before reaching into her satchel, which she had put on purely out of habit. Somehow, her flashlight still worked despite the probably four year old batteries. Maybe the tablet recharged them during transport. It was magic after all.

Somewhere she could hear Tilly and McPhee trying to calm the tour groups as they offered refunds and apologies. Larry was probably going for the fuse box near the loading dock. She decided to find him first. As she turned her beam of light caught an exhibit. An exhibit with a very still, very not alive wax figure. Her feet were heading to the roof before her brain could comprehend what was going on.

Bursting through the door, she called out Ahk's name. No answer. She swung the flashlight around, going into a panic when she couldn't find him. The rain soaked her to the bone almost instantly. She hesitantly made her way to the railing and peered over. It looked like the entire city was out. A curse escaped her lips when her flashlight didn't quite reach to the ground below.

Reaching for her satchel again, she pulled out her cellphone, praying to whatever god would listen that it still worked and that Larry still had the same number. For the first time in three years she turned it on and selected his name from her contact list. It rang once, twice and she could have died when she heard his voice. "Larry, the exhibits are asleep. I can't feel the tablet," she nearly shouted into his ear. "I think Ahk might have done something stupid. We were on the roof over the main entrance. Please, please, please take a look and tell me he didn't jump."

"I have to check the fuse box first," came the reply.

"It's not the freaking fuse box. Whatever it is got the whole city. Just look. Please?"

She could hear him curse. "All right, I'll call you back when I'm over there." He hung up.

Cursing, she paced a few steps before slapping the railing and taking off to the pharaoh's crypt. Most of the tourists had been filing out of the main entrance. That meant Alex made it to the exhibit before Larry could make it outside the main entrance door. The sarcophagus was closed and its glass case shut tight. "What the freak is your problem? What have you done?" She yelled, throwing open the case and sliding over the sarcophagus lid. She froze in terror at the mummy inside. He wasn't supposed to be there. "What did you do?" she whispered. She couldn't feel the tablet and Ahk was a mummy. And she couldn't. Feel. The. Tablet. Numbly, so he didn't get anymore damaged, she sealed him back in. Leaning against the case, she slid to the floor.

The long forgotten ring-tone made her jump out of her skin. With shaking hands she answered her phone. "Alex, he's not out here anywhere. Neither is the tablet."

"I know," she replied, voice cracking.

"What do you mean, you know? Why am I out here looking then?"

"Larry, I can't. I can't feel the tablet," she sobbed.

There was a deep sigh followed by cursing on the other end. She could hear it even over the sounds of the rain. "I'm coming back in. Where are you?"

"Ahk," she choked. "Ahkmenrah's exhibit. Larry, he's in there. He's a mummy and it's not sunrise and I can't feel the tablet."

She could hear another string of curses, before he responded. "Okay. Just. Just stay calm. I'm coming. It'll be all right, Alex. I'm coming." He hung up.

The phone dropped from her hand as she curled herself into a ball and sobbed.


	8. Epilogue Part 2

Ahkmen Ity woke before his alarm clock. He hated when that happened. But at least he'd have extra time at the dig site. He'd spent his entire life around archeological digs. His parents were archeologists, and their parents. It was in his blood. His great grandparents had been among the crew who discovered the tomb of Ahkmenrah, after whom he'd been named. His parents had met at that tomb when archeology classes from several different universities around the world took their summer courses there. Though by then most of the artifacts had already been found, this trip, his parents always told him, was to test their translation skills.

His dad was an Egyptian, but his grandparents had immigrated to America when he was just a baby. And his mom was Arabic, but her parents had immigrated to Britain before she was born. The chances of them choosing the same career and meeting at all were pretty slim. They always seemed to credit the young dead pharaoh for their miracle. Hence his name.

Here he was in the place that his parents met. He grabbed his tools as he stepped out of his tent. This was the last day of the summer course. He had a good feeling about today. The professors had all said that finding anymore relics was highly unlikely, if not impossible. After over sixty years the site had more or less been cleaned over. But he was determined to prove them wrong.

His parents had come along on this trip, much to his chagrin. They'd spent most of their lives specializing in the study of the life of Ahkmenrah, so it was not a surprise that they'd been asked to head the group. But really, he was almost twenty six, he could handle a dig. They could have said no. Well, at least they were supportive, unlike his professor and his classmates.

Pressure had been placed on him to follow in his parent's footprints. And to an extent he did. While they were focused on the pharaoh himself, he'd always felt more drawn to the third wife. Unlike all the queen's before her, she had commanded that no statues or pictures be made of her. There were only two known references to her. One was a record of their marriage and the other was set of hieroglyphs on the crypt walls that depicted a young woman coming from heaven and protecting the young pharaoh with a power that could wipe out armies. She was a mystery that he felt he had to solve.

Descending into what was now more of a pit than a dig, he began where he'd left off the night before. 'Not there,' came the voice in his head, causing him to pause. He heard it often, but he wasn't crazy. At least he didn't think he was. He'd learned to heed that voice. It had been with him for as long as he could remember, and it was always right. In the past, it had even saved his life a time or two. 'There,' it whispered again. A spot on the wall beside him seemed to glow for a moment. So he did the only logical thing he could think of, and started digging there.

Midday saw him still at it. His mom had refilled his canteen twice, knowing he would forget to. She'd even brought him lunch, though it went untouched. He couldn't explain why but finding this artifact, whatever it was, felt like the most important thing in the world to him. Finally, finally he hit the jackpot. He gave a shout, calling for his professor and his parents. He'd been fairly shoved out of the way as the head archeologist on site, aka Dad, took over and sent him to the tent for rest.

Night fell, and lights were brought in as the crews continued to work. After a well deserved meal and nap, Ahkmen had returned to the site to give what aid he could.

"If this is what I think it is, son," his dad said, during a break. "It could be the most important find since the discovery of the tomb. The legacy continues. This could be epic." The man was as excited as high school girl who just got asked to her first prom.

'This is the mold from which I was created,' said the voice in his head.

"The mold of the tablet of Ahkmenrah," Ahkmen said. Wait, how did he know that? The tablet. _The_ tablet of _the_ Ahkmenrah was stuck in his head? He continued, "It was thought to hold power over life and death." A confused look covered his face. He didn't remember studying that.

His dad looked at him, then shook it off. The kid had been like that since day one. "Come on," the older man said, gesturing to him as he stood. "It's your find, so dig."

It was nearly midday the following day when the mold had completely been excavated. It was taken gingerly into one of the tents to be examined further. He stood beside his parents, staring at it on the table. "You were right, son," his dad said, clapping him on the back. "Maybe we can make more tablets like Ahkmenrah's and keep everyone from dying," he joked before pulling his wife out to let their son examine it himself. Of course they would check his work later, but this was meant to be a learning experience.

'Without the priests it can produce only lifeless metal. Its time is over, just as mine is.' Ahkmen stood mesmerized by the artifact, everything else around him forgotten. 'It holds the last remnants of my power. You must touch it, Young Pharaoh. Only then will your wishes be fully granted.' He felt like he would lose something if he did what it said. 'I will be released, at long last.' He didn't like that idea. Over the years, he'd grown rather attached to the voice. Losing it would be like losing your best friend. He could hear it chuckle. 'I was never meant to exist.' There was a pause. 'Your father could not see his selfishness for what it was. He had me created for you. To keep you by his side for all eternity. You, my pharaoh, paid the price. Over and over again. This is my payment to you, which began three thousand years ago.' His hand hovered over the mold. Why did it keep calling him pharaoh? 'I will remind you, but my power is waning. You must touch the mold.' the voice said. Finally his hand rested almost reverently on the edge of the mold. Instantly he was blinded by a white light, before darkness closed in.

"Alex," he called out, sitting straight up.

"Yo, man. I'm right here. No need to shout."

Ahkmen realized he was in a hospital room. He was in Egypt still. Alexander Rothman, one of his classmates, the only one he could actually call friend, was at his bedside. "What," his voice cracked badly. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "What happened?"

"I dunno. I was assigned to cleanup after you found that artifact. But they said one of the lines from the generator to the tent wasn't set up right and fell on you. I think you got zapped, man."

"My parents. Are they outside?"

"Dude. What happened to your voice? You're all, like, British now, or something. Doesn't that happen sometimes to trauma victims? They wake up with, like, a weird accent or something. Yeah, I think I read that somewhere. So you're, like, British now. That is so cool. Chicks are gonna dig that."

Ahkmen put a hand to his pounding head. The only 'chick' he even wanted to dig him was his wife, Alex. Wait, since when was he married? "Can you please send my parents in?"

"Oh. Yeah, no problem, dude. Like, cheerios or whatever." A gurgle came from the young man's stomach. "I'll be back later, man. I seriously need to find some grub."

Two sets of memories for the same time period floating around in his head. That's why his head felt like it was splitting down the middle. The day, or rather, night, that Larry had freed him from the crypt was also the day he'd been accepted into the university. While he'd been helping Larry rescue the tablet, he'd also been across the country, in a club in California partying with his friends. He'd stumbled into the road on his way home, and it was the tablet's voice that had guided back to the sidewalk just as a speeding car went by.

He remembered his fight with Alex. She was carrying his child, and being the idiot he was he had insinuated that she'd slept with another man. But, if he had to guess, that was roughly the same time he'd made his initial discovery of the mold.

He could remember being a mummy. When the tablet had been dying. The way it felt when Alex cried over him, and confessed her feelings for the first time. Well for her, it was the first time. Ironically enough, he'd been in that same city, at the time. Visiting his grandparents. He'd even rode a bus that very night. Was it that bus? Had he seen himself? He couldn't remember. He could swear his head was about to explode.

Sifting through two separate sets of memories hurt too much, so he shifted his focus to the memories from before his time. The way he felt when she had presented the marriage cake to him. How cute she was when she was drunk. Their first night together, that she claimed she couldn't remember. Heaven help him, he sure did, every vivid detail.

His mother's voice pulled him out of himself. "You've been unconscious for almost two days. We were so worried." She sat on the side of his bed and gave him an awkward, sideways hug. He wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry. The tablet had given him his parents too, not that they would ever remember their past lives. It had fused with him somehow, he realized, that's the only reason he had the memories now. No wonder it'd had such little power left.

"My head is pounding, but other than that I feel fine. There's somewhere I need to go. When can I leave?" His mother handed him a glass of water, which he gladly accepted.

"The doc'll wanna run some tests on you. She said a couple days depending on how you were when you woke up," his father answered. Before clapping him on the back. Ahk nearly choked on his water, spilling a little on his hospital gown. "When they let you out you should go home. We're gonna be here a while longer. You, my boy, discovered the temple of Khonsu."

"I wish I could stay and assist. But I really need to find someone." Ahk closed his eyes. As badly as he needed to see Alex, his Alex, he was certain this headache would keep him from even getting to the airport. And he would be of no use to her until he was well. All he could do was submit to the tests and scans.

When Alex had awoken the day after what they had dubbed the museum's death, it was mid-afternoon. Her first thought had been the loss of her husband, her second thought was for her unborn child. What if whatever took Ahk from her, took the baby too? And if it didn't, what if the shock did? Her eyes were so swollen she couldn't even see straight.

After breaking the news to Larry and explaining her worries, she managed to convince him to help her buy a few pregnancy tests. Surprisingly, they were both relieved when all came out positive.

Over the next week, Larry had come to understand that the only thing keeping Alex from falling into complete depression was the little one. As long as she was pregnant, he felt he could leave her alone while he was at school. She was already a devoted mother. But he worried about after the kid was born. If her current depression combined with postpartum depression, he could lose her for good.

He was sitting on couch, grading papers, while Alex was watching TV and talking to the baby. "You do know it can't hear yet, right," he said finally.

"I don't care. Right now talking to my baby is the only thing keeping me sane," she admitted. "It's a little piece of Ahk. This is all I have left of him."

"You mean besides the jewelry and the flowers."

"They're not flowers. They're seeds. And I'll probably have to sell the jewelry eventually."

"But you planted them. So they're going to be flowers." He set down the paper he was marking. "And why would you have to sell your jewelry?"

"Because you're a teacher. Teacher's make puny salaries. And I don't want to be a mooch forever. Just until the baby's born." She placed a hand on her stomach. "I already lost my first one. I'm not taking any risks with this one."

"I still can't believe you did it with a teenager, you pedophile." He was trying to joke around with her. Make her laugh. Make her angry. Anything that would break the emotionless shell she'd put herself in.

She didn't bite. "I had issues with it at first too. But that was the culture," she stopped when the doorbell rang.

"Hold that thought," he said, gesturing for her to stay put. He opened the door, only to slam it shut again. "Alex, it's for you."

"What? Who? I don't know anybody," she said as she joined him by the door. "Why didn't you open it?"

"I did," he explained taking several steps back. "Now it's your turn."

She shrugged and opened the door, nearly fainting at the sight. "Ahkmen," she whispered.

"Hi," he replied. She punched him in the face, knocking him out cold.

"Geez, girl," Larry exclaimed, dragging the unconscious body over to the couch. "What happened to not taking any risks?"

She stared at the newcomer. "Is it just me or does he look older to you?"

"Yeah, he does." Larry's gaze wandered to a nearby window. "Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah."

"It's still daylight. How is he even here?"

"Larry."

"Yeah."

"I still don't feel the tablet."

"But I saw you. I mean the other you," Alex said, after Ahk had given his explanations. "You're in that sarcophagus, right now."

"I don't know how the tablet did what it did. But that's not me anymore," he nursed his growing headache. The doctor had said they would stop, and he had to admit they weren't as painful as they had been, not that the bruise around his swollen left eye helped any. But he felt he'd earned it.

Larry tossed him an ice pack for his eye, before leaving to give them some privacy. "So what?" Alex asked. "That was the cocoon and you're the butterfly?"

"No. It was as much me, as this is me. It's confusing, I know. Try walking around two sets of memories. Basically, while you were meeting me for the first time, the older...younger...deader me, there was also this me who had the tablet stuck in his head and was trying to pass his university courses. But I couldn't be me until the other me made the wish and this me found the tablet's mold." With a huff he sat back against the couch. "It's official, I've finally lost it. I'm probably not even really here. I'm in a little, white, rubber room with people who think they're Napoleon."

Alex gave a dry chuckle. "Welcome to my world. Time travel sucks. Take it from someone who's been there, it's better to just roll with it and not think about it." There was a moment of silence as the new information was digested. "So," Alex stared at the blank TV screen. "You didn't remember me, I mean us, until a week ago?" He shook his head. "So. I mean. Twenty five. Even in this culture, you're probably already married by now." He looked at her in stunned silence. "And technically, it doesn't matter because my official, no longer official husband is a corpse in a museum." She fidgeted, uncomfortably beside him. "Sorry. I'll shut up now."

His eyes widened with sudden realization. And he couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from his chest. He apologized, before explaining. "My parents have spent their lives studying Ahkmenrah. They included me in on everything from the time I was born in hopes that I would follow in their footsteps. Since I was fifteen, I've spent almost all my free time trying to solve the mystery behind his third wife."

"I'm not sure I follow," Alex admitted.

"You." He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I've been trying to find you. Without even knowing it. I never had any time for girls or dating, because I was looking for _you_."

She blushed. "Oh."

He chuckled again. And for hours they simply chatted, getting reacquainted with one another. She fidgeted growing uncomfortable. And he shifted sideways, pulling her to rest back against him. His left hand was interlocked in hers, and his right rested on her belly. "I'm sorry," he said finally.

"For what?"

"For ever making you think that I wouldn't want our child. For even insinuating that it wasn't mine."

"No. I overreacted. And you had a reason to think that given the time differences."

Silence reigned for a time, before Ahk spoke back up. "According to the rest of the world we never met before today. And I shouldn't have even known where Larry lived. Everyone will look down on us for this, so I won't blame you for saying no. But will you marry me? Again?" She shifted so she could look at him. "Sorry. Too soon?"

"No. I just can't believe you actually asked this time."

He chuckled. "For the record, the first time was my father's doing, not mine. Not that I didn't completely appreciate it." She elbowed him lightly in the gut. Breathlessly he asked, "Does that mean yes?"

"Of course, yes." She settled back against him. "But I'm too comfortable to kiss you right now."

"Okay." He kissed her neck. "Kissing can wait."


End file.
